No More Secrets
by liveonpurpose
Summary: The girls are overwhelmed and are ready to tell their secret to the world. How will they handle the big reveal? Set after season three. Will/Bella, Cleo/Lewis. Eventually Rikki/Zane.
1. Stress

Cleo, Rikki, and Bella sat together at a small table inside Rikki's cafe. They met there frequently, even though Rikki and Zane were no longer a couple.

Zane and Rikki had managed to settle into a sort of forced friendship. Rikki had made it clear that she just wanted to be friends and Zane had had no choice other than to accept that. Zane didn't spend much time with the group anymore.

Rikki had looked for Zane as she'd walked in, but she didn't see him behind the counter. He was probably out riding motorbikes with Nate.

Cleo had been having a rough day. She'd been hard at work at the water park, working as an assistant dolphin trainer. Her coach/boss Laurie had been pressuring her to start working with the dolphins in the water. For obvious reasons, Cleo couldn't do so. Just touching the water would turn her into a mermaid, and that would automatically turn her into the main attraction of the water park. Laurie had jokingly told her repeatedly that he would get Cleo into the water, whatever it took. Cleo was starting to stress things.

"What are we going to do?" Cleo worried to Rikki and Bella.

"I don't know that there's anything we can do." Rikki said calmly. "I guess you'll just have to keep turning him down."

"I know." Cleo looked at her feet. "It's just, he keeps telling me I'm the best assistant dolphin trainer they've ever had." Cleo tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Bella gave Cleo a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry." She said honestly. "I know exactly how you feel."

"Really?" Cleo looked at Bella curiously.

"Yeah." Bella answered. "Mrs. Nell keeps asking me when I'm going to take the swim test."

"Oooooohh..." Rikki and Cleo realized the problem. Bella had transferred to their high school that year. Each student was required to pass a basic swimming test before graduating. Rikki and Cleo had gotten it over with during their freshman year, before all of the mermaid business had started. Bella hadn't been so lucky. She'd been allowed to graduate with the class, but she had to complete the swimming test before her diploma would be valid.

"She calls to ask me about it practically every day." Bella groaned.

"Get a doctor's note!" Rikki suggested. "Say... you're allergic to chlorine or something."

"I thought about that already." Bella muttered. "Mrs. Nell offered to let me take the test in the ocean. I think she knew I was lying."

"Ah.." Neither Rikki nor Cleo could think of any other advice to offer Bella. The three sat together in a thoughtful silence.

"What's with the sad faces?" Lewis asked as he joined them at their table.

"Not sad." Cleo took Lewis's hand in hers under the table. "Just thoughtful. A little stressed."

"Stressed?" Lewis looked slightly concerned. "What about?"

The girls chatted to Lewis, sharing their concerns. Will joined the group a few minutes later. The five of them talked quietly for a while, going over and over the same things.

"Ok, enough with the serious talk." Rikki shook her head. "Snap out of it, guys."

"Rikki's right." Bella nodded. "This isn't that big a deal."

"Right." Cleo said firmly.

The girls all began jabbering with each other happily, occasionally letting Will and Lewis get a word in. In the back of their minds they still felt unsettled.

The three of them loved being mermaids and would never want to give it up, but they couldn't help but admit that things would be easier for all three of them if they were normal girls. Or, at least, if everyone knew their secret. Until they ended up under a microscope, that is.

Rikki turned to check the cafe, looking around casually for Zane. She, too, was wondering what things would be like if everyone knew their secret. The majority of what she and Zane had fought about had had a lot to do with her being a mermaid. If things were out in the open it would clear up a lot of problems. Not that she wanted to get back with Zane, of course.

The three girls each thought to themselves about how much easier life would be if they didn't have to keep this secret, but they didn't share their thoughts with each other. Revealing their secret simply was not an option.

The next day came quickly. Cleo hurried out the door to head to work. She liked working in the mornings, when the marine park was empty.

Laurie was standing by her locker when she walked in. "Good morning, Cleo." He greeted her.

"Good morning, Laurie." Cleo said warily. He had a gleam in his eye that she couldn't quite place. "What's up?"

"I have a surprise for you." Laurie tried to hide his grin. He held out a small, thin box to Cleo.

"What is it?" Cleo took the box in her hand.

"See for yourself." Laurie said.

Cleo opened the box. Inside was a name tag. She picked it up and read it out loud. "Cleo Sertori, Dolphin Trainer." Her eyes widened. "Wait, dolphin trainer?" She said excitedly.

"You've been doing a great job." Laurie clapped a hand on Cleo's shoulder. "I think you're ready to take on some actual training, instead of just being an assistant. If you want to, of course."

Cleo's heart sank as her excitement faded. What was she thinking? She couldn't be an official dolphin trainer. They were in the water all the time. They swam with the dolphins during the show. There was no way she could get away with working that job.

"Thank you, Laurie." Cleo said softly. "But I'm afraid I can't take the job."

Laurie frowned. "What? Why?"

"I, uh, I just don't think I'm ready for it." Cleo handed the name tag back to him.

"Well why don't you want to leave that up to me?" Laurie asked. "I think you'd be fantastic. Do you really want to just stay an assistant?"

Cleo didn't have much of an answer for him. "I'm sorry." She muttered as she picked up her apron and wandered outside to clean the grout on the edge of the pool.

The truth was that Cleo would absolutely kill to be an official trainer at the park. If she could be sure that she wouldn't have to get into the water she would do it in a heartbeat, but there was no way she could chance it.

For the second time in the last two days Cleo felt annoyance at the fact that she couldn't carry on like a normal girl. Still, she reasoned, even if the world knew she was a mermaid, she still wouldn't be able to be a dolphin trainer, would she? Cleo sighed as she scrubbed the mildew away from the floor tiling.

Bella's phone rang, waking her up out of a deep sleep. "Hello?" She said sleepily.

"Bella." Came a crisp voice through the line. "Have you set up a time to take your swim test yet?"

Bella sat up quickly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She cleared her throat. "No yet, Mrs. Nell. But I will soon."

"I don't need to remind you that the school has been very patient with you." Mrs. Nell lectured. "Normally we would have held you back a year because you technically did not meet the graduation requirements for your year."

"Yes, I know." Bella sighed. She'd heard this lecture many times.

"Although your grades were so good in all of your other classes we decided to make an exception." The administrator continued. "But we will need you to take care of this issue soon. Understood?"

"Understood." Bella said glumly, shutting the phone and throwing it onto the bed. She had no idea what to do. If she didn't get a valid diploma she'd never get into a good college. Most public schools required a swim test.

"This is so stupid." Bella muttered. "I'm a mermaid and I'm stressed because I can't take a swimming test."

Bella slumped back down on the bed, trying to decide on a job that she could work without going to college.

Rikki was walking along the beach, looking out over the water. She took a seat on the sand far from the water's edge. A group of teenagers were waist deep in the water. Rikki recognized Nate along with a few other girls and guys from girls were splashing the boys flirtatiously and the boys were tackling the girls into the water.

"Rikki?" An all too familiar voice came from behind her.

Rikki didn't need to turn around to know who it was. "Hey Zane." She said simply.

"It's been a while." Zane stood in front of her with his hands in the pockets of his swimming trunks.

"Has it?" Rikki looked out over the water.

Nate came trudging out of the ocean and headed towards them. "Zane!" He shouted.

Zane instinctively stood between Rikki and the dripping wet Nate. "I'm coming." He said, gesturing for Nate to go away.

Nate winked at Rikki. "Why don't you join us, beautiful?"

"Sorry, I don't want to catch anything." Rikki said as she stood.

Nate looked confused. "But the weather is warm?"

"I wasn't worried about catching anything because of the weather." Rikki called behind her as she walked away.

Zane watched her go before following Nate out into the waves. Rikki paused, turning back to watch the group having fun in the water. Zane looked like he was having a blast. His face was totally carefree. He didn't need to worry about protecting her from the water or keeping her secret.

Cleo and Bella were waiting for Rikki at Mako island when she swam up.

"Hey." Rikki sighed.

"Hey." Cleo and Bella's tone matched Rikki's.

"I got offered a promotion today." Cleo said blankly. She kept speaking before anyone could get too excited. "I can't take it. It's required that I get in the water."

"Oh." Rikki said. "I just bumped into Zane. He was hanging out with a group of our friends at the beach. In the water."

"I'm sorry." Cleo squeezed Rikki's arm.

"Mrs. Nell called again this morning." Bella murmured. "She's really on my case about taking that stupid swimming test. What am I supposed to tell her?"

"Tell her you're a mermaid." Rikki said vacantly.

Rikki's words echoed through the cave as the girls floated in the water.

"What if we did?" Cleo asked, sitting up.

"What?" Rikki's eyes narrowed.

"What if we told everyone what we are?" Cleo's voice was more animated than it had been a second ago.

"You can't be serious." Bella frowned.

"It would make everything so much easier." Cleo spoke quickly. "We wouldn't need to hide from anyone, I could explain to Laurie why I can't take the promotion, Bella you could take your swim test, Rikki, I don't know where you stand with Zane, but at lest you would know that it wasn't our secret that was keeping you two from being together. We wouldn't need to hide from our families. Everything would just be... easier."

"Yeah, until we get thrown into a cage and get cut into tiny pieces." Rikki said bluntly.

"But would that really happen?" Cleo wondered aloud. "I mean, we're a modern society. Sure, we'd probably have to let them run a few tests on us, but we're people. They couldn't really keep us locked up, could they?"

"Do we really want to take that chance?" Bella raised her eyebrows.

"Ok." Cleo spoke thoughtfully. "What if just one of us tried it?"

"Tried it?" Rikki freaked. "Tried to share the secret?"

Cleo hit the water in frustration. "I'm just so tired of keeping it a secret." She said passionately. "I love being a mermaid, but I just want to relax. I feel like we've been stressed about keeping the secret ever since the change happened. Rikki, do you even remember what it was like to be able to go a whole day without worrying about getting wet?"

Rikki shook her head no.

"Think about it." Cleo almost smiled. "Sure, we'd become almost famous, but it would get to be old news soon enough. We could ride out the initial wildness and then just enjoy our lives."

"I still don't think it's a good idea." Bella worried.

"Then you don't have to do it." Cleo said determinedly. "But I want to. I'm tired of hiding."

Rikki was looking at Cleo with wide eyes. "This doesn't really sound like you..." She mused.

"I know." Cleo nodded. "I feel like this has been building up inside me for years now, and I just can't hold it in any longer." Cleo looked at the other two seriously. "What do you guys think?"

Rikki spoke thoughtfully. "I think it's your life. If you want to go for it I'm not going to hold you back."

"Have you talked to Lewis about this?" Bella asked.

"Not yet." Cleo answered. "I wanted to talk to you two first."

Bella nodded. "I'm with Rikki." She said finally. "If you want to tell people what you are then go ahead. "But Cleo," Bella said seriously. "Don't tell anyone about Rikki or me."

Rikki looked at Cleo. "There's a thought. Don't you think people will figure out what Bella and I are once you tell people what you are?"

"I'll be careful." Cleo insisted. "People will be so shocked to hear there's one mermaid, they won't expect there to be two more."

Bella and Rikki did not look convinced, but they agreed that this was Cleo's decision. Cleo left soon after, to talk to Lewis and decide on a course of action.


	2. Sam

Cleo spoke with Lewis for a long time. He had listened to her vent many times about how much she hated keeping the secret, and how badly she wanted things to be out in the open, but this was the first time Cleo had ever seriously discussed going public.

They sat beside each other on Cleo's bed, talking quietly to one another. The atmosphere was a tense one. Lewis wasn't sure exactly where he stood on this particular issue.

"I want you to be happy." He said, squeezing Cleo's hand in his. "But are you really sure that this is the way to go?"

"No," Cleo answered truthfully. "But how will I know if I don't try it?"

Lewis nodded. "I understand, but the thing is, it's irreversible. Once you tell someone you can't go back. Your life could turn into a serious mess."

"I kind of expect that." Cleo agreed. "But after a few years the excitement will die down. People will get used to the idea and and then I can go on with my life." Cleo nudged Lewis. "I'll even let you write the first exclusive scientific essay on me." She offered.

"It's your choice." Lewis said firmly. "Whatever you decide to do, I'm by your side."

Cleo's eyes were shining as she smiled appreciatively at Lewis. "Thank you." She whispered before giving Lewis a kiss on the cheek. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. Lewis copied her movements, standing beside her. Cleo started to walk towards the bedroom door.

"Wait, Cleo." Lewis intercepted her before she could reach the door. "Who are you going to tell first?"

"Sam." Cleo said with false confidence.

"Sam?" Lewis asked, confused. "Why her and not your Dad?"

"At first, he was definitely the one I wanted to tell," Cleo explained. "But I love him so very much, and it's going to be such a huge shock for him. I think Sam will handle it better, and then she can help me explain it to Dad."

"That makes a lot of sense." Lewis admitted. "When are you going to tell her?"

"As soon as she gets home." Cleo said determinedly. "But I need to call Bella and Rikki first."

Cleo headed down the steps toward the phone. She made the two phone calls, explaining her choice to her friends. Rikki and Bella both warned her to be careful and each gave Cleo strict instructions to call them later. Cleo agreed and hung up the phone. She turned to face Lewis, who was standing beside her quietly.

"Am I ready for this?" Cleo asked softly.

Lewis simply pulled Cleo into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

The pair jumped as the front door opened.

"Hey guys." Sam said cheerily as she walked inside, her arms loaded with bags of groceries. It didn't take her long to feel the tension that reverberated off of Cleo and Lewis.

"Are you two ok?" Sam asked concernedly as she put groceries away in the refrigerator.

"Actually," Cleo spoke hesitantly, "Can I talk to you? About something important?"

Sam paused and her eyes narrowed as she looked from Cleo to Lewis. "Sure..." She said hesitantly.

"Let's go upstairs?" Cleo suggested. She would feel much more comfortable in her own bedroom.

Sam had an odd expression on her face as she silently led the way up the stairs.

Cleo paused at the foot of the stairs, surprised as Lewis followed her. "You're coming?" She asked hopefully.

"By your side, remember?" Lewis winked at Cleo as he took her hand in his. They walked upstairs together.

Sam had taken a seat on the corner of Cleo's bed. "Alright." She sounded resigned. "Lay it on me." She looked up at Cleo expectantly.

Cleo was surprised at Sam's blunt tone of voice. This wasn't how she had expected this to go at all. Cleo paced as she spoke, unable to meet Sam's eye. "I don't really know how to say this..." She began.

"Oh my god, Cleo." Sam's hand flew to her mouth. She jumped up and ran to Cleo, holding her tightly. "It's going to be ok." She said worriedly. "We'll explain things to your Dad, I'm sure he won't kill Lewis-"

"Wait, what?" Cleo cut her off, and extremely confused look on her face.

Same pulled back slightly, holding onto Cleo's shoulders and looking her dead in the eye. "Didn't... didn't you bring me up here to tell me that you're..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Pregnant?"

"What?" Cleo and Lewis shouted at the exact same time.

"No, Sam... just no." Cleo spoke quickly, her eyes opened wide.

Cleo sat Sam gently down on the edge of the bed. "I am absolutely not pregnant." She said calmly. "That's just, well, that's totally crazy."

Lewis crossed his arms over his chest. "I mean, it's not _that_ crazy." He said indignantly.

Cleo shot Lewis a 'oh hush' look before turning back to Sam.

"I need to tell you something." Cleo spoke slowly. "It's going to shock you. You aren't going to believe me, and you absolutely can't tell anyone, but I just can't keep this secret any longer. I need people to know."

"Ok." Sam said seriously. She leaned in to speak softly to Cleo. "You know you can tell me anything."

"I know." There was no turning back now, and now that the moment had come, Cleo wasn't sure she could go through with it. She looked to Lewis, who nodded encouragingly. Cleo turned back to Sam, taking in a deep breath of oxygen.

"Sam," Cleo swallowed hard. "I'm a mermaid."

The words seemed to echo through the room. Sam's expression didn't change as she looked at Cleo. Several seconds of silence passed without any of the three of them moving.

Finally, Sam closed her eyes and shook her head. "What?" She asked.

"I am a mermaid." Cleo decided it would be best just to keep going. "When I touch water I change. My legs change into a long fin. That's why I've never been able to go in the water with the family."

Sam stood, her face still completely blank. She took a few steps away from Cleo and then turned back to face her. "Cleo, if you're messing with me-"

"I'm not." Cleo stood too. "I can show you."

Sam looked frozen as she stood staring at Cleo. She blinked a few times before whispering "Mermaids don't exist."

"Yes they do." Cleo whispered back. She reached out her arm and took Sam's hand. Leading her gently, Cleo took her to the spacious upstairs bathroom.

Lewis followed them inside, pulling the door shut behind the three of them.

Sam was looking from Cleo to Lewis in a slightly panicked way.

Cleo looked at Sam carefully. "Are you ok?" She asked.

"Of course I am." Sam laughed nervously. "I'm just not sure I know what's going on."

Cleo hugged Sam around the neck impulsively. They separated a few seconds later, both of their faces serious.

Cleo walked over to the sink where Lewis stood watching.

"Are you ready?" He asked her quietly.

Cleo nodded, unable to find the oxygen to speak. This was it. Nothing would be the same after this moment. "You do it." She said to Lewis, unable to make herself reach for the sink.

"Ok." Lewis said calmly. "Sit down, you'll hurt yourself falling from standing."

Cleo sank to the floor as Sam watched. Lewis poured some water from the sink onto a wash cloth. Turning to face Cleo, he twisted the cloth. Several droplets of water landed on Cleo's skin.

A few seconds passed with no change and Sam began to feel herself relax. "I knew you two were messing with my head, there's no such thing as-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Cleo's legs began to change. As Sam watched, wide eyed, Cleo's two tanned legs turned into one long golden fin. Cleo's top and shorts disappeared and a golden bikini-like top took the place of her shirt. The change took less than ten seconds.

Cleo looked up at Sam from her position of vulnerability on the floor. She was petrified. Why had she decided to blow her secret? She waited anxiously for Sam to say something.

Sam was standing, absolutely frozen, staring at Cleo. Several seconds passed. "How?" She managed to choke out. She focused her eyes on Lewis. "You knew?" She said in disbelief.

"Yeah." Lewis said as casually as he could.

"How long have you been this way?" Sam focused back on Cleo.

"For a little over three years." Cleo said quietly.

"Three years." Sam braced herself on the edge of the counter, holding herself up.

Lewis walked quickly over to Sam, holding her up in case her legs gave out. She looked absolutely and utterly shocked. "It's ok." Lewis said with a slight smile, trying to calm her down. "It's still Cleo."

"I know it's still Cleo." Same broke out of Lewis's hold and walked to crouch beside Cleo. She looked at Cleo's fin up close, examining the changes that had taken place. "How is this possible?" She murmured.

"It's a long story." Cleo spoke.

"I have time." Sam sat cross legged on the floor beside Cleo.

"Ok..." Cleo launched into the story of how it all happened. She left out Rikki and Bella's names as she explained how she had become the way she was, and how she handled it from day to day.

Sam listened, her eyes opened wide as she processed the information. She looked Cleo in the eyes. "And it's just you?" She asked.

Cleo was faced with a tough decision. Rikki and Bella's secrets weren't hers to give away, but what good was telling Sam the truth if she lied about the details?"

"I'm sure there are other mermaids out there." Cleo answered carefully. "But I've dealt with most of this on my own."

Cleo looked at Lewis, silently asking him to go along with what she had said. She hadn't lied. Internally, each of the three girls had dealt with this on their own. Cleo couldn't be completely honest because she couldn't betray Rikki and Bella.

Sam was still looking at Cleo, baffled. "But, how?" She repeated.

Cleo took a deep breath and told Sam about how she'd found herself in the moon pool as the full moon had passed overhead. She left out Rikki and Emma (a friend who had also become a mermaid. She was traveling the world with her family now) but included everything else.

Cleo finished her story and looked at Sam carefully. "I can't keep this a secret any longer." She explained. "I wanted to tell you because I knew you'd understand, and I was hoping you could help me tell Dad?"

"Don." Sam breathed. "Yeah, I'll help you tell him."

By now Cleo was nearly all the way dry. She could feel the last droplets of water evaporate off of her. Immediately, her fin disappeared and her legs took it's place.

Sam backed up slightly as Cleo changed back. "Whoa..." She murmured.

Cleo stood and walked over to Sam. "Can I trust you with this?" She asked seriously.

Sam nodded. "Yeah." her head continued nodding as she spoke. "Of course you can. I'm not going to tell anyone."

Cleo felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Her relief rippled down her shoulders as she turned to fall into Lewis's arms.

"Thank you." Cleo said to Sam gratefully. " Seriously, thank you."

Sam was deep in thought. "What now?"

"I was hoping you could help me tell Dad?" Cleo spoke hopefully.

Sam raised her eyebrows. "That'll be interesting." She said.

Cleo panicked slightly. "You don't think he'll be ok with this?" She asked.

Sam shook her head, trying to clear it. "Cleo," She started. "This is an awful lot to take in. For anyone. And Don is your father. Yes, I think he'll be ok with this, it's just... an awful lot to take in."

Cleo nodded. "I know." She said. "Will you help me tell him?"

Sam looked at Cleo solemnly. "Yeah." she eventually said. "Of course I will."

Relief spread across Cleo's face. "Thank you." She said as she beamed at Sam.

Hesitantly, Cleo walked to stand in front of Sam. Cleo pulled Sam in for a tight hug. Sam returned the embrace, holding Cleo tightly.

The pair separated after several seconds. Sam checked her watch. "Your father will be home any second." She said breathlessly.

"Ok."' Cleo's voice matched Sam's. "And how are you handling things?"

"I'm not sure it's quite hit me yet." Sam answered. "But don't worry. Everything will be fine. I'll keep your secret."

The amount of relief Cleo felt was incredible. "Thank you." She repeated with a smile.

Sam smiled back at her. "Your father will be home soon. Better get yourself ready to talk to him."

Cleo nodded slightly. "I'll do that."

Sam walked out of the bedroom and headed out the door and down the steps.

Cleo let out an enormous exhale. "That wasn't too bad?" She looked to Lewis for affirmation.

Both of them froze as they heard the front door open and close.

"Dad's home." Cleo said. She locked eyes with Lewis. "Ready for round two?"


	3. Don

Cleo, Lewis, and Sam walked down the stairs wordlessly and entered the kitchen, where Don stood, looking in the refrigerator.

"Hey Dad." Cleo got his attention.

"Oh, hi sweetheart." Don said absently as he searched for the jug of milk that usually lived in the back of the fridge.

"Dad, I have something I need to tell you." Cleo said boldly, though she didn't feel nearly as confident as she sounded.

"Yes?" Don was still rummaging through the fridge, not paying any attention Cleo, Lewis, or Sam.

"Don..." Sam walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "I really think you need to listen to Cleo right now."

"What?" Don looked confused as he stood up straight. "Do you have something important you need to tell me?" He asked Cleo worriedly.

Cleo nodded slowly as she stepped further into the kitchen.

"I need to tell you something really important, Dad." She said quietly.

"Oh my god." Don's hand went to his head. "You're pregnant. I knew it. Lewis, I strongly advise you to run. Quickly."

"No!" Cleo shouted. "Dad, I'm not pregnant."

"Thank god." Relief spread across Don's face. "You had me scared to death. No offense, Lewis."

"None taken." Lewis gave a small shrug.

"Alright then." Don smiled at Cleo. "What is it you need to tell me?"

Cleo felt a fresh wave of nervousness sweep over her. She shot a look to Sam for support.

"Ah, Cleo," Sam spoke comfortingly. "Do you think you should just show him?"

Cleo managed a nervous smile. "I think that's a great idea." She agreed.

"Now Don," Sam spoke as they followed Cleo to the sink. "I need you to take a few deep breaths and get ready. Your daughter is getting ready to tell you something that is going to change things. It's big."

"But she isn't pregnant?" Don looked at Sam seriously.

"No," Sam grinned. "She is not pregnant.

"Thank the lord." Don breathed.

Lewis shot Don a withering look before turning his attention back to Cleo.

"Well, whatever it is, there's nothing worse than that!" Don laughed.

Lewis's eyes narrowed in irritation but he managed to keep his mouth closed.

"So what is it, sweetheart?" Don looked at Cleo expectantly.

Cleo looked from Sam to Lewis, suddenly loosing her nerve.

"You can do this." Lewis encouraged her with a smile.

Cleo nodded solemnly. Lewis calmly handed her a cup of water and positioned himself, ready to catch her.

"Dad, I need you to just be calm. I think the best way is just to show you." Cleo stammered.

"What is it?" Don asked, more curious than before.

Before she could convince herself not to, Cleo poured the water over her arm. A few seconds later, her legs changed into a long golden fin. Lewis caught her under the arms as she began to fall towards the floor, easing her down slowly.

"Thank you." Cleo whispered to Lewis before turning her attention back to her father.

Don's eyes were opened wider than Cleo had ever seen before. He was standing, frozen, staring at Cleo's fin.

Cleo waited several seconds before starting to become worried. "Dad?" She spoke softly.

Don didn't move a muscle.

"Don, sweetie." Sam stepped to him and rubbed a hand on his back. "Say something." She prodded. "It's just Cleo." She reminded him quietly.

"Dad?" Cleo spoke up nervously.

Don managed on staggering step towards Cleo. His face was frozen in a panicked expression, his eyes opened wide.

"It's ok, Dad." Cleo didn't feel like her voice was comforting enough. She looked up at her father with pleading eyes. "You don't need to freak out."

Don nodded his head once, twice, three times. Then, quite neatly, his eyes rolled up into his head and his knees buckled as he collapsed on the floor in a dead faint.

"Dad!" Cleo panicked.

Sam quickly took Don's head in her lap and began rubbing his temples. Lewis jogged to the kitchen to retrieve an ice pack. He offered it to Sam, who laid it gently across Don's forehead.

"Now Don," Sam lectured. "It's just Cleo. Same as she's always been."

Don blinked several times, trying to compose rational thoughts. He breathed heavily, trying to work his mouth to form words. "How?" He managed to gasp out.

"It's a long story..." Cleo began toweling herself off. She quickly retold the story of how she'd become a mermaid to her father, who remained motionless the entire time. She finished her story at the same time she finished drying off.

Don watched, paralyzed, as Cleo's legs reappeared. He instantly began hyperventilating, gasping for oxygen.

"Don," Sam said comfortingly, "Just take deep breaths. Everything is fine."

It took several more minutes before Don's breathing returned to a somewhat normal pace. He hadn't looked away from Cleo since he'd seen her change.

"So let me get this straight." Don managed to speak in normal tones. "You, Cleo, my daughter, turn into a- uh...a-"

"A mermaid." Lewis spoke up.

Con shot Lewis a look out of the corner of his eye before continuing. "A...mermaid whenever you touch water, and when you dry off you turn back to normal."

"That's about it." Cleo said simply. "Except for..."

Cleo locked eyes with Lewis. She'd forgotten to tell Sam or her father about her power to move water.

"You might as well get it over with." Lewis shrugged.

Cleo sighed before holding her arm up towards the sink. A column of water rose into the air. She held it there for several seconds before allowing it to splash back down into the sink.

This time both Sam and Don had matching expressions of surprise on their faces. They managed to pull their faces back into a somewhat normal expression after a few seconds.

"Ok." Don said calmly, still breathing hard. "Let me try again. You, Cleo, turn into a mermaid when you get wet. You change back when you dry off, and you can" Don swallowed. "Move water with your mind. Is that it?"

"Yes." Cleo smiled, relieved that her father seemed to be processing things relatively well.

"Ah." Don nodded deep in thought. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. "And Lewis, here, has known about this from the beginning." He said accusingly.

Cleo looked from Lewis to her father. "Yeah..." She said hesitantly. "He's been a big help actually."

"I see." Don said stuffily. "And I guess you couldn't come to me with this because...?"

Cleo realized quickly what her dad was miffed about. "Dad," She said warmly. "I just didn't want to stress you out."

"Ah." Don crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh, stop it." Sam swatted at Don's arms. "Don't pout, it's childish."

"I just don't see why she came to Lewis and not to me." Don shrugged.

Cleo rolled her eyes a bit to Lewis before looking back to her dad. "So you can handle this?" She asked as she stood up.

"Of course I can!" Don said defensively. "Frankly, I'm insulted that you doubted my ability to handle this sort of thing."

"Well good then." Sam rubbed the back of Don's neck affectionately. "Cleo, I have a question. Why now? Why tell us now, I mean?"

Cleo took a deep breath before speaking. "I want... to go... public." She said slowly.

"What? Why?" Sam asked, surprised at Cleo's answer.

Cleo took several minutes to tell her parents how overwhelmed she had felt about keeping her secret. She told them about how hard work had become, how much she wanted to live without worrying, and about how she wanted to be able to be honest with people. She also explained her reasoning. If she cooperated with the scientists she had a pretty good chance of regaining a normal life eventually.

"I just want to start small." Cleo said meekly. "I want to tell Laurie and maybe a few other people at the marine park. It'll help me out with my job a ton."

"I don't know, Cleo." Sam said thoughtfully. "Do you really think that's wise?"

"I don't know." Cleo said firmly. "But I'm never going to find out if I don't go for it."

Sam nodded, but Don shook his head firmly. "I just don't know about that, Cleo." He said.

"It's just Laurie." Cleo said calmly. "It'll be fine."

"When are you telling him?" Sam asked.

"Tomorrow? Before the park opens." Cleo said, unsure.

"And I assume you'll be bringing Lewis with you." Don said stuffily.

"Yeah, I was planning on it." Cleo said, unsure of how her father would react.

"I'm coming too." Don said firmly.

"Dad," Cleo started.

"No, stop." Don said firmly. "You're my daughter and I will be there to protect you."

"Alright..." Cleo said hesitantly. "We'll head over tomorrow morning around 8? Before the park opens?"

Don nodded firmly. "Yes." He stated.

"Great." Cleo smiled genuinely for the first time that evening. She tackled her father in a huge hug. "Thanks, Dad." She murmured.

"Of course, sweetheart." Don patted the back of her head. "It's getting late, you'd better be getting to bed."

"Late?" Cleo pulled back from the hug, her eyes narrowed. "Dad, it's only 8?"

"Oh, right." Don shook his head. "It just feels a lot later than that. What's for dinner?" He looked at Sam expectantly.

As Sam busied herself in the kitchen preparing dinner, Cleo and Lewis took the opportunity to duck out of the house and head down to the dock.

"So, how are you feeling?" Lewis asked as they walked. He had one arm loosely draped around Cleo's shoulders.

"Good." Cleo smiled. "I feel really, really good about this."

Lewis nodded. "And when are you going to tell Kim?"

"In twenty years?" Cleo said sarcastically. "I'll tell her soon enough. But not today."

"Good call." Lewis agreed. "So you're ready? To tell Laurie?"

"Yes." Cleo said confidently. "I've known him for years. If I can trust anyone at the marine park, it's him." She held Lewis's face in her hands. "This is a _good_ thing, Lewis."

"I trust you." Lewis looked deep into Cleo's eyes.

The pair held each other closely for several seconds before Lewis guided Cleo's mouth to his. Their kiss lasted for several seconds, both of them glad to be able to relax after such a stressful day.

"I should let you be with your family." Lewis said softly, breaking the kiss.

"I'd rather be with you." Cleo looked up into Lewis's eyes.

"I always want to be with you." Lewis hugged Cleo to him. "I'll be here tomorrow morning. What time?"

"Seven?" Cleo suggested. "Is that too early?"

"I'll be here at 6:30." Lewis said, pulling Cleo to him for one more kiss before heading off towards his own home.

Cleo watched him walk away. She'd ever felt so lucky to have such a supportive guy in her life. She sighed happily before heading into the house. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.


	4. Laurie

Rikki found herself tossing and turning that night, unable to stop her mind from racing. A million thoughts seemed to be taking over her braid.

Rikki turned to one side, picturing how happy Zane had looked at the beach that day. He had looked as if he hadn't had a care in the world. Which made sense, Rikki thought. Zane didn't need to worry about watching out for water, or protecting her from a full moon. He could go on long boat rides with his friends, he could go to the water park. He could do a lot of things now that he couldn't do with her, Rikki thought bitterly.

Rikki sighed loudly and flipped over to lay on her stomach. "Why are you still thinking about Zane?" She muttered to herself. "You don't miss him."

The words echoed through the silent room. Rikki repeated them. Somehow, saying the words out loud didn't seem to make them feel true.

Slowly, Rikki's thoughts changed direction. She worried about what the next day held in store for Cleo at the marine park. A small part of Rikki was jealous of Cleo. Lewis was so supportive of her, so caring. Cleo had a big day for tomorrow. A huge day, Rikki thought.

Tomorrow, for the first time, their secret would be revealed to someone who wasn't a relative or close friend. Rikki felt her pulse quicken with nerves. She hoped Cleo had a plan B in case something went wrong.

Rikki tossed and turned once again, trying her hardest to relax. It was a long time before the sun rose into the sky.

Bella woke up at the crack of dawn. The first thing she did was reach for her cell phone.

"Hello?" Cleo answered before the phone finished it's first ring.

"Are you ready?" Bella asked excitedly.

Cleo took a deep breath. "I think so." She managed.

Bella let out a small squeal. She was so nervous for her friend, but she knew that this was going to happen eventually. There was no way they were going to keep the secret forever, Bella just hoped this was the right time to reveal it!

Cleo talked to Bella for a few more minutes before clicking her phone closed. She felt reassured about her choice. Bella's words had been encouraging, just what Cleo needed before facing the day ahead.

Cleo tiptoed to the guest bedroom where Lewis had stayed the night. She raised her hand to tap on the closed door, but it swung open before she could reach it.

Lewis looked up in surprise. "I didn't expect you to be awake already." He said quietly, careful not to wake Sam and Don.

"I couldn't sleep any longer." Cleo spoke excitedly. "This is it, huh?" She looked up at Lewis with hopeful eyes.

"Yup." Lewis answered, trying to keep the nerves out of his voice. He didn't quite succeed.

"Lewis?" Cleo stepped up close to look into his eyes. "Are _you _nervous?"

Lewis nodded, slightly embarrassed. This wasn't his secret, it was Cleo's. He had no right or reason to feel nervous on her behalf.

Cleo wrapped Lewis in her arms tightly, holding him as close as she could. "You have nothing to worry about." She said comfortingly. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I know." Lewis spoke into the crook of Cleo's neck. "It's just..." He stopped talking.

Cleo pulled her head back from Lewis and looked deep into his eyes. "Just what?"

Lewis looked down at the floor for a few moments before he spoke. He didn't meet Cleo's eyes. "I've always liked being the one who knew your secret." He said quietly. "I was always the one who got to take care of you. Even after Zane and will found out, I was always the one who, you know, _fixed_ things. And now everyone is going to know." Lewis tucked a strand of hair carefully behind Cleo's ear. "I won't be the only one who protects you anymore."

"I don't have to go through with this." Cleo offered, her hands entwined in Lewis's. "Sam and Dad know now, that's a pretty big deal. I don't have to tell anyone else-"

"No." Lewis said quickly, shaking his head. "No way." Lewis cupped Cleo's face in one hand. "If this is what you want, you need to do it. The end."

Cleo nodded. She did want to do this. She wanted to be done looking over her shoulder all the time. "How soon will you be ready?"

"I'm ready now." Lewis said calmly.

"Well _I'll_ be ready in about fifteen minutes, if anyone is interested." Don spoke from his bedroom doorway.

Cleo and Lewis turned quickly to face him. "Good morning, Dad!" Cleo called brightly.

"You're a mermaid." Don blurted out.

Cleo nodded, one eyebrow raised. "I sure am. And I'm going to need you to really work on keeping it a secret, k?"

"Right." Don nodded forcefully. "Don't talk about Cleo being a mermaid..." He muttered as he walked down the stairs.

"Well he seems to be handling things well." Lewis said sarcastically.

"Right?" Cleo's tone matched Lewis's.

After a quick breakfast, the group prepared to head over to the marine park. Cleo, Lewis, and Don piled into the family car and made the drive in just under 10 minutes.

Cleo stepped out of the car feeling surprisingly calm. On the contrary, her father had began certifiably freaking out.

"Dad?" Cleo asked nervously. "Are you alright?"

"You're a mermaid!" Don said a little too loudly. He ran distracted fingers through his hair as he spoke. "What if you don't tell anyone else and you just come back home? Are you sure about all the fame this is going to bring? I mean," Don paused. "It would mean fantastic publicity for my fishing business..." He shook himself. "But that's beside the point. What if-"

"Don." Lewis cut him off. "Everything is going to be fine. Cleo knows what she's doing."

"Right." Don did not look convinced.

"Hey, Lewis." Cleo turned to him. "Why don't you take Dad for a coffee right quick." Cleo nodded towards the beverage station across the park. "Just to relax him."

"Relax him?" Lewis half whispered. "With coffee?"

"Just keep him busy for a minute. He's freaking out." Cleo looked at her Dad, who was pacing back and forth on pavement, muttering under his breath.

Lewis nodded. "Ok. You going to talk to Laurie?"

"Yes. It'll be easier without Dad around." Cleo explained. "Wait 15 minutes, then head to Laurie's office."

Lewis pulled Cleo in for a long kiss before turning to Don. "What do you say we go get you something to drink?" Lewis clapped a hand on Don's shoulder.

"Now?" Don's eyes were a little wild. "But aren't we going to talk to Cleo's boss?"

"In just a second." Lewis said calmly. "Cleo needs some... alone time."

"Ah. Alone time." Don nodded. He looked closely at Cleo. "You wait til we get back before you do anything, got it?"

"Of course, Dad." Cleo said solemnly.

Cleo waited until Lewis and Don had disappeared into the shop before she took off towards Laurie's office. She hated being dishonest to her father, but he was having a hard time coping with everything. Cleo felt like things would go a lot slower if it was just Laurie and her.

Cleo stood outside Laurie's office door for several seconds before she raised her hand to knock.

"Come in!" Cleo heard Laurie's familiar voice from the other side of the door. She stepped inside nervously.

"Cleo, I was just thinking about you." Laurie looked from his laptop. "Come on in, sit down."

Slightly surprised, Cleo took a seat opposite Laurie. "You were thinking about me?" She asked curiously.

"Yes." Laurie was slightly distracted as he read something on his computer screen. After typing a few more words he turned his attention to Cleo. A grin spread across his face.

"What is it?" Cleo asked nervously.

"I have some news that will make your day." Laurie said. "Listen, I know you said you don't want to be a dolphin trainer, but-"

"Actually," Cleo interrupted him. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"You've changed your mind?" Laurie's face became hopeful. "Cleo, you'll be great at it, really. I-"

"No, I haven't changed my mind." Cleo said.

Laurie's face fell. "What did you want to talk to me about then?"

"I have to tell you something." Cleo said quietly. "And it's going to change everything you think you know about the ocean."

Laurie furrowed his eyebrows. "Ok." He said hesitantly.

Cleo stood up from her chair. "There's a reason I can't go in the water, Laurie. Why I can never be a dolphin trainer."

Laurie sensed the seriousness in Cleo's tone. He nodded silently.

Cleo paced slightly, looking down as she composed her thoughts. "About three years ago, I was spending some time out on Mako Island. And something happened."

"Are you alright?" Laurie leaned forward on his desk, a concerned look on his face. "Did you get hurt?"

"No, not hurt." Cleo faced him. "But I was changed."

"What?" Laurie couldn't have been any more confused. "Changed how?"

Cleo took a deep breath. Everything would be changed after this moment. She took a few moments of silence before she opened her mouth to speak. "I'm a mermaid."

The silence in the office was deafening. Laurie blinked. "What?" He asked skeptically.

Cleo walked to stand right in front of the desk. "I'm a mermaid." She repeated. "A real-life, with a fin, mermaid."

Laurie stood, looking closely at Cleo. "You're... a mermaid." He said slowly. "And that's why you can't touch water..."

"Right." Cleo said, relieved. She couldn't believe how good it felt to get to secret off her chest. No more hiding from work, no more excuses about why she couldn't work with the dolphins.

Laurie was still standing, frozen, deep in thought. "Cleo," he said finally. "If you don't want to work as a dophin trainer it's ok."

Cleo frowned. "What?"

"It's just," Laurie crossed his arms, "You don't need to make up stories. If it isn't something you want to do you don't have to."

"You think I'm lying?" Cleo couldn't believe it. "It's simple enough to prove, you know."

Laurie realized that Cleo was right. If she _was_ lying then it was a pretty silly lie. Still, mermaids?

"Come on." Cleo reached for Laurie's arm and pulled him out of the office and down the hall. She headed outside and to the very back of the park, where the private tanks were. The solitude tanks had no windows and each tank could only be accessed by one door, which locked.

"Which of these are empty?" Cleo gestured to the row of tank rooms.

"Uh, the third one." Laurie stammered, still trying to get his thoughts together.

Cleo walked into the third tank room. She held the door open for Laurie before she locked it behind them. Laurie looked confused, and a little bit nervous, but he followed behind Cleo without hesitation.

"Ok." Cleo stood next to the small tank of water. "Don't freak out."

With that, Cleo dove into the tank. Laurie watched in fascination as Cleo's legs changed into one long, golden fin.

Cleo surfaced slowly, water steaming down her face and over her shoulders.

"Wow..." Laurie breathed, unable to move just yet. He knelt at the edge of the water, looking Cleo up and down.

Cleo felt incredibly relieved. Laurie seemed to be taking things well. At least, much better than her Dad had. A few seconds went by as Laurie stared.

"May I?" Laurie slowly reached a hand out towards Cleo's fin.

"Sure." Cleo said eagerly. With great effort, she pulled herself out of the pool to sit next to Laurie.

Laurie watched, fascinated. He examined Cleo's fin, looking closely at the area where the scales melded into Cleo's skin. "Does it hurt?" He asked, not looking away from the scales.

"Not at all." Cleo said. "In fact, it feels good."

Laurie nodded. "When I was younger I used to dream about mermaids." He spoke as he looked at the edge of her fin. "I never thought I'd actually meet one. Cleo," Laurie looked concerned. "You've dealt with this for three years? All alone? Are there others like you?"

"I haven't been all alone." Cleo said honestly. "Lewis knows."

Laurie nodded. "Have you ever met another mermaid?"

"No." Cleo lied. She hated to be dishonest now, when she was trying to hard to be truthful, but she couldn't betray Rikki and Bella.

"I should probably get dried off." Cleo said quickly. "In case someone else comes down here."

"The door is locked." Laurie was still completely distracted as he looked at the mermaid in front of him.

"I know, it's just, my Dad-" Cleo's eyes widened. "Oh, shoot, my Dad and Lewis will be looking for me. I told them to come to your office." Cleo quickly held one hand over her tail and removed the water droplets from her tail. She sent the water into the pool with a small splash.

"Wha?" Laurie looked as if he'd been hit over the head. "How did you do that?"

"Can we talk more later?" Cleo really did need to find her father. She didn't need him blabbing his mouth all over the park as he looked for her.

"Yes!" Laurie said enthusiastically. "Can you meet me here around 4? I'd love to see what else you can do."

"Absolutely." A bright smile spread across Cleo's face. She pulled Laurie in for a tight hug. "Thank you, for handling all this so well." She said quietly.

"Thank you for telling me. This is incredible!" Laurie's voice dripped with excitement.

"And Laurie," Cleo looked at him closely. "You can't tell anyone."

"I swear." Laurie's face became serious. "Not a soul."

The pair headed outside and back towards the main section of the park.

"CLEO!" Don's voice bellowed from the other end of a large tank.

"Hey, Dad." Cleo stood still as don raced over to her, with Lewis close behind.

As she waited for her father, Cleo turned to look at Laurie.

"Hey," She said. "What was it you were going to tell me about when I came to your office earlier? You were excited about something you wanted to tell me."

"Oh." Laurie looked sheepish. "I was going to offer you free swimming lessons. I thought that's why you didn't want to get in the water."

"Oh." Cleo laughed. "I'd better get to Dad. I'll see you later."


	5. Tested

Rikki and Bella had been waiting nervously to hear how Cleo's meeting with Laurie had gone. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Rikki sat at Bella's desk, staring absently out the window. Bella lay on her bed, staring up at her ceiling. Neither of them had spoken in several minutes. Will had been waiting as well, but he had stepped out a few minutes ago to get something to eat.

The phone rang shrilly, shaking both girls out of their trances.

"Cleo?" Rikki answered breathlessly. "What happened?"

Rikki listened intently for several seconds. Bella waited impatiently for Rikki to hang up the phone.

"Well?" Bella pushed. "What happened?"

Rikki's face was unreadable as she turned to her friend. "He's fine." She said simply.

"What?" Bella looked shocked. "Laurie is? He took it well?"

Rikki shrugged, a little stunned. "Cleo said he took it fine. He's _excited_ about it."

Bella's face was frozen for several seconds before the beginnings of a grin began to appear. She began to giggle. Shortly there after, both Bella and Rikki were rolling on the bed laughing. All of the stress about Cleo dissolved away, replaced by laughter.

Will walked into the bedroom hesitantly. Bella and Rikki looked up at him, still laughing.

"Oh look, it's ya boyfriend." Rikki said in a sing-song voice.

"Hello dahlin." Bella said goofily.

Will stood awkwardly for a moment. "I assume you've heard from Cleo?" He asked, putting things together.

"We have." Rikki said, standing.

"And Laurie took it really well." Bella stood beside Rikki. "And he _likes _it."

"Great!" Will grinned. "So what now?"

Both girls' smiles faded a bit.

"Well, nothing I guess." Bella said finally. "This was Cleo's first try, I guess we wait to see what she wants to do next."

Cleo had been on cloud nine ever since leaving the marine park. It felt great to tell Laurie the truth. And it felt even better to see how enthusiastic he had been about everything. Cleo discovered that she was actually excited for their meeting later that afternoon.

"Cleo?" Lewis spoke up.

"Hm?" Cleo made herself focus.

"Have you heard anything I've said?" Lewis looked a little disappointed.

"Oh, Lewis, I'm sorry." Cleo took his hand in her own. "I was thinking about today."

"That's what I was talking about." Lewis kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Can I come with you today? For your meeting with Laurie?"

Cleo's face brightened. "I would_ love _ that." She said happily. She nestled her head into the crook of Lewis's neck. "Everything is going to work out just fine."

"So who are you going to tell next?" Lewis asked casually.

Cleo sat up. "Next? I hadn't really thought about it."

Lewis shrugged. "You said you wanted to go public, I just assumed you'd be telling other people too."

"For right now I think I'll just let Laurie get used to the idea." Cleo said thoughtfully. "I was so stressed because of my job. With that taken care of, I think I can wait a bit before telling anyone else."

Rikki was walking along the beach towards Cleo's house, enjoying the breeze off of the water. Before she realized it, she found herself standing across from the familiar cafe that still displayed her name. Rikki looked up at the marquis for just a few seconds, feeling nostalgic as she remembered the first time she'd walked into the cafe.

Just then, a familiar silhouette walked out of the beaded entryway. Zane was zipping up his leather jacket and he had his arm around the shoulders of someone Rikki didn't recognize. A _female_ someone.

Rikki quickly crouched behind a bush. She didn't want Zane to see her watching him, but she did want to know who he was talking to.

Zane was laughing about something the unfamiliar brunette had said. Rikki listened hard.

"So I'll see you tonight, right?" Rikki could barely hear him say.

"You bet you will." The brunette answered seductively.

Zane squeezed the girl's hands in his briefly before he turned to get on his motorbike. The girl watched him bike away before turning to walk back into the cafe.

"What?" Rikki said out loud before realizing that people could hear her. She couldn't believe what she'd just seen. 'Zane has a new girlfriend?' She thought to herself.

Rikki marched quickly towards Cleo's house. Her mind was a firey mess. She couldn't believe Zane was seeing someone else. There was a small voice in the back of her mind that reminded her that she had been the one to break up with Zane, and that he had begged her to take him back but she had said no. Rikki had known that they would both move on eventually, but she couldn't believe he had moved on so fast. The same small voice reminded her that it had been about 6 months, and that that was a pretty long time to wait, but Rikki didn't care. The truth was that she was crushed. Deep down she had always thought that she and Zane would get back together eventually. If he was dating, that meant that she really had lost him.

"What's wrong with you?" Cleo asked as Rikki stormed into the house.

"I don't want to talk about it." Rikki said in a clipped tone. "Tell me about Laurie."

Cleo exchanged a confused look with Lewis, who shrugged, before telling Rikki all about her meeting.

Rikki didn't hear much of what Cleo said. She tried to focus, but she kept picturing Zane with his arm around that girl.

"So, I think we should celebrate." Cleo finished.

Rikki looked up from the spot on the floor she'd been staring at. "Yeah." She said vaguely.

"How about tonight? After I get back from the marine park?" Cleo suggested. "Mako Island?"

"Sure" Rikki said glumly. "I'm sorry, Cleo, but I need to go."

"Where?" Cleo was concerned for her friend.

"I don't know." Rikki answered. "I'll call you later."

Cleo could tell that Rikki didn't want to talk, so she just let her go. Rikki would calm down and talk to her after she processed things, Cleo was sure of it.

Rikki walked briskly back towards the cafe. She wanted to talk to Zane. She looked for his bike but didn't see it parked outside. He must still be gone, she decided.

Rikki walked confidently inside and took a seat at a booth. Normally, she would have just stewed things over for a while, but she wanted to hear it from Zane. She wanted him to tell her that he'd moved on. Maybe she had misunderstood what she'd seen earlier? Maybe it could all be explained? Maybe she had judged too quickly.

Rikki took a calming breath. She looked around the cafe casually, looking for the girl she had seen Zane with. She wasn't in sight.

"Thank god." Rikki exhaled. She wanted to talk to Zane, but she certainly didn't want to talk to his new girlfriend.

Rikki only had to wait about fifteen more minutes before she heard Zane's bike pull up and park outside. Rikki froze as she watched Zane walk inside, thumbing through a stack of papers. He walked quickly through the eatery and into his office.

Rikki stood slowly, almost losing her nerve. Setting her shoulders, she marched to Zane's office door and opened it without knocking.

Zane looked up from his desk, surprised at the intrusion.

"Hello Zane." Rikki said coolly.

"Rikki?" Zane looked confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you dating someone?" Rikki asked bluntly.

Zane's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Rikki took a couple steps towards the desk. "You heard me. Are you dating someone."

Silence took over the small office as the pair locked eyes on one another. Neither spoke, neither even blinked.

Rikki raised her eyebrows. "Well?"

Zane's eyes looked almost defeated as he looked at Rikki. "Yes." He said quietly.

"Figures." Rikki said angrily, turning to leave.

"Hey, wait." Zane ran to block her exit. "What did you expect me to do? Rikki, you dumped me."

"Smartest thing I ever did." Rikki tried to push past Zane, but he blocked the door completely.

"Why are you mad at me for moving on?" Zane's tone wasn't a pleasant one. "You told me to move on. You told me you'd never take me back. You pushed me away over and over again." Zane's voice softened. "How long did you expect me to wait for you?"

"Zane, move." Rikki looked at Zane with hard eyes.

With a sigh, Zane stepped aside, allowing Rikki out of the office.

Rikki walked briskly out of the cafe. She didn't know why she was so upset. Zane was right, she had pushed him away every time he's tried to get her back. She hadn't wanted to talk to him about the comet, the moon pool, or anything mermaid related. Frustrated with herself for letting Zane get to her, Rikki dove into the water.

Bella sat outside with Will, enjoying the late afternoon sun.

"So have you given any thought to going public?" Will asked casually.

Bella didn't even pause before answering. "Nope."

Will raised his eyebrows. "Really? You've never thought about it?"

"Oh, I've thought about it." Bella said easily. "But I like things the way they are. Only the people I love the most know what I am. And that's the way I want it to stay."

Will closed his eyes for a moment, thrilled to hear Bella say that. In a way, it was almost like her telling him that she loved him.

"I agree." He said with a smile. "I like things the way they are too."

Bella checked her watch. "4." She said simply. "Cleo will be at her meeting with Laurie. And after that," Bella stood and brushed herself off. "We have a party to attend. Want to help me set up?"

"Sure." Will took Bella's hands and stood up. "Meet you out there?"

Bella nodded and kissed Will's cheek before diving into the water.

Cleo walked excitedly towards the marine park with Lewis close beside her. She was more than ready to tell someone else all about what it was like to be a mermaid.

Lewis was ever supportive, as always, though he was not quite as enthused as Cleo was. He was a little nervous about Cleo being so open with someone else. Lewis trusted Laurie, they'd worked with him for years and knew that he was a really good guy, but Lewis worried that the temptation to tell the secret would be too great for Laurie to handle. Still, if Cleo was ready for this, Lewis supposed he should be too.

Cleo skipped to Laurie's office door and tapped on it lightly.

"Come in!" An eager voice shouted from inside.

Cleo stepped in the door, Lewis close behind her.

Laurie looked up, flustered. "I have been dying for you to get her!" He said hurriedly. "I thought we could use the empty shark tank out back? You could show me a few things?" For the first time, Laurie noticed that Lewis was in the office too. "Oh, hey Lewis." He said absently before turning back to look at Cleo.

"Hey." Lewis answered unenthusiastically.

Cleo looked from Lewis to Laurie uncertainly. She quickly took Lewis's hand in hers and squeezed it tightly.

"Shall we?" Laurie gestured to the exit. He carried several textbooks and writing tablets with him.

Laurie babbled on and on during the long walk to the deserted tank in the back of the park. He wanted to know everything. Exactly how had Cleo transformed, where, at what time, what had the weather been like that day?

Cleo answered all of his questions honestly, carefully leaving out Bella, Rikki, and their friend Emma.

They reached the empty tank several minutes later. Laurie unlocked the gate and held it open so that Lewis and Cleo could walk through. He locked it back up behind the three of them.

"What about the surveillance cameras?" Lewis pointed out.

"Disconnected." Laurie said in a slightly distracted tone. "I took care of it this afternoon."

"Thank you." Cleo whispered to her boyfriend.

"Ok." Laurie looked at Cleo expectantly. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." Cleo stood confidently at the edge of the pool. She took one last look at Lewis before diving in.

Laurie hurried to sit at the edge of the water so that he could clearly see the transformation. "Wow..." Laurie's eyes were wide as plates as he watched Cleo change from human to mermaid.

"It's pretty cool." Lewis said under his breath.

"And you've know about this?" Laurie pulled his eyes away from Cleo to stare at Lewis. "For three years?"

"Three and a half." Lewis said blankly.

"Holy smokes." Laurie turned back to the water. "And you didn't tell anyone else? At all? You weren't tempted?"

"No." Lewis said, slightly surprised. It had never occurred to him to tell Cleo's , he was a scientist, but Cleo was the love of his life.

Cleo reached the edge of the pool and surfaced. "Are you two ok?" Cleo looked specifically at Lewis. She could tell that something was bothering him, and she had a pretty good idea of what it was.

"We are fantastic." Laurie said with a grin. "Wow, Cleo, this is seriously cool."

"Thanks." Cleo couldn't help but smile.

"So." Laurie made a few notes on his chart. "You change when you touch water."

"About ten seconds or so after." Cleo clarified.

Laurie jotted a quick note. "And it happens when you touch any water? Anytime?

"Pretty much." Cleo nodded.

"How much water does it take? To change you? There's water vapor in the air, but it clearly has no effect." Laurie looked down at Cleo.

"A drop?" Cleo raised her shoulders. "I'm not sure exactly how much, but I know it doesn't take much at all."

"A minimum of .5 milliliters." Lewis spoke up.

"He's right." Cleo suddenly remembered. They had tested it just after their first transformation. Well, Lewis had tested it.

"What about non water based liquids?" Laurie continued. "We should run some tests to find out which liquids affect you and which don't.

Lewis spoke a little louder this time. "She changes when she comes in contact with and liquid that is 32 percent water or higher.

Laurie set his pencil down and turned to look at Lewis. "You've run that test as well?"

Lewis nodded. "I've run several tests over the years."

Laurie cast Lewis an approving look. "I guess I should be picking your brain, then. You certainly know an awful lot about all of this.

Lewis nodded, proud of himself. "I'd be glad to share my research with you if you'd like."

"Yeah, that'd be great." Laurie picked his notebook back up and began flipping through it. "Still, we should have a real scientist run some tests as well."

"A real scientist?" Cleo frowned. "Lewis is a real scientist."

"Of course he is." Laurie said patiently. "Care to show me how fast you can swim?"

Cleo obliged him, swimming several lengths of the pool in a few seconds. Lewis crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't sure about all of this. He didn't like it, he decided. Not one bit.


	6. Enough

Bella and Will were hard at work by the time Lewis made it to Mako Island. They'd cleaned up the cave as much as possible and had put up a few decorations for the celebration.

"Looks great, guys." Lewis said half-heartedly as he looked around the cavern.

"Thanks." Will cast a satisfied look around the room before focusing on Lewis. "Is something wrong?"

"It's Cleo." Lewis sank onto a rock and rubbed his temples, deep in thought. "I've got a bad feeling about this whole going public thing."

"I get that." Will said. And he did, too. He would feel exactly the same way Lewis did if it was his Bella going public.

"It's going to be fine." Lewis still sounded unconvinced, but he managed to plaster a smile across his face. "As long as she's careful."

"And she will be." Bella assured him. "Where is she, by the way?"

"She's working with Laurie a bit longer." Lewis's smile faded a bit. "She'll be here in a little while."

Cleo showed up about thirty minutes later, and Rikki arrived twenty minutes after her.

Bella and Will listened intently as Cleo told them all about the several tests she'd done with Laurie that day. Lewis was only half paying attention as Cleo chattered. He still had a bad feeling about all of this. Rikki couldn't manage to get herself out of the funk she'd been in all day. She kept picturing Zane with his arm around that girl, and it made her furious. She thought back to their brief discussion in Zane's office earlier. She wished she'd done a better job of keeping her temper in check. The thing that steamed her up the most was that she knew that Zane was right. And Rikki was more than a little angry about it.

The makeshift celebration only lasted about an hour before Cleo began to yawn.

"Guys, I'm really sorry, but I'm completely wiped out." She yawned as she stretched her arms over her head. "I think I have to head home."

"Sounds good to me." Lewis said quickly as he stood to gather his things.

"Me too." Rikki answered without pause. "I'm out of here."

"Really? This early?" Bella and Will were the only ones who appeared to be genuinely disappointed. "It's only 6pm?"

"Yeah, I have somewhere to be." Rikki dove into the water and disappeared without another word.

"What's wrong with her?" Lewis looked to the rest of the group.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Bella answered.

"She's been like that all day." Cleo added.

"I'm sure it's nothing." Will spoke up. "She'll cool down after a bit, she always does."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right." Bella still had a worried expression on her face.

"Hey, don't you have a performance to get ready for?" Will suddenly remembered.

"You're right!" Bella's eyes widened. "I completely forgot."

Will leaned in for a quick kiss. "That's what I'm hear for."

"Well, since the party is ending I guess I'll go home and review our set list" Bella said happily. "Are you playing tonight, Lewis?"

"Yeah," Lewis said vaguely. "I'll see you at the cafe later." Lewis walked out of the cave after that, not bothering to say goodbye.

Bella looked to Will, who shrugged. "Everyone is just stressed about Cleo." Will offered.

"Yeah." Bella agreed. "I'm glad we're out of all the craziness."

"Me too." Will kissed Bella hard on the lips. They broke the kiss several seconds later. Eventually they each headed back towards the shore.

Rikki had started to head back to the mainland, but had made several detours along the way. Being alone in the dark waters gave her time to think and, more importantly, to calm herself down. She had swum far out into the open ocean, almost further than she'd ever gone before, before she turned to head lazily back towards the coast.

An anchor dropped into the water in front of her, causing her to stop in her tracks. Rikki looked up to see the bottom of a very familiar boat above her.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me." Rikki rolled her eyes. "In the whole ocean, he had to boat right here?"

Zane's boat floated atop the easy waves, bobbing up and down. Rikki swam out away from the boat before surfacing and turning to look back at the vessel. She knew that Zane wouldn't be able to see her from so far away in the darkness.

Rikki saw Zane standing on the deck of the small boat. He had always asked Rikki to go out on his boat with him, but she had always said no. She'd been too worried that she would get splashed in view of the other boaters. He had begged her to go with him, but she'd always turned him down. Rikki looked at Zane closely. He looked just as he always had, staring out over the water. It was as if he was searching for something in the waves. He looked very... relaxed, Rikki realized. He had an easy smile on his face that Rikki hadn't seen for months. Rikki wondered what he was thinking about. Maybe he was looking for her?

Rikki swam forward slightly, but paused when Zane opened his mouth to speak.

"Ally? Are you coming?" He called to the small cabin behind him.

Rikki froze, completely taken aback. He wasn't having a moment alone at sea, he was with his new girlfriend.

Sure enough, the same brunette from the cafe that day stepped out onto the dock next to Zane. She stood, facing him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. Rikki watched as Zane ran his fingers through her hair and lifted her face to his for a kiss.

Rikki felt as if her heart was being ripped in half as she watched Zane kissing someone else. It wasn't until this moment that she truly realized how much she wanted him back.

Zane pulled back from his kiss with Ally, a small smile on his face. "You look so beautiful." Rikki could barely overhear him say before he leaned back in for another kiss.

Rikki had heard more than enough. She tore away, leaving a wake in the water behind her that rocked the boat.

Lewis had arrived at the cafe just in time to start the show. The band was small, but it had quite a steady group of fans, and the cafe was totally packed out.

"Are you ok?" Bella pulled Lewis aside. He didn't look well. His hair was disheveled and he didn't seem to be reacting to anything. He looked to be completely lost in thought.

"Yeah, sorry." Lewis shook himself out of it. Everything with Cleo was going to be fine, he told himself firmly. He needed to stop worrying so much.

The band played for about an hour before they stopped to take a quick ten minute break. Zane and the brunette, Ally, walked into the cafe shortly thereafter.

"Why aren't you guys playing?" Zane asked under his breath.

"We _were._" Bella said, rolling her eyes. "We just stopped to take a break."

"Well don't break too long." Zane said, distracted. He took a seat in a booth right next to the front of the stage, pulling Ally down to sit beside him.

Bella's eyes widened. She turned to Lewis. "Did you know Zane was seeing someone?"

"No." For the first time Lewis looked interested in what Bella had said. "Do you recognize her?"

"I don't think so." Lewis looked at the girl hard before he answered. "She must be new."

"Twenty bucks says that's what's got Rikki so upset." Bella spoke.

"I think you're probably right." Lewis agreed. "Ready for our next set?"

Bella nodded and took her place behind the microphone. She began their next song, a slow one about love. Sitting in their booth, Zane wrapped his arm around Ally tightly. Ally rested her head on Zane's shoulder as she twisted her fingers in Zane's.

Rikki walked into the cafe at that moment. The heat around her was practically visible as she stormed inside. She clenched her fists as she looked at Zane sitting with his girl.

"Rikki?" Will walked over to her quickly. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing." Rikki's tone was sarcastic and fiery as she looked at Zane. She started to walk over to Zane's booth but Will cut her off.

"Wait, Rikki." Will held her by the shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"Moving on." Rikki said coolly. "Cleo wants to go public, and I don't think that's such a bad idea."

Will frowned. "Ok..." He said hesitantly. "Why don't you go home and think about who you want to tell first?"

"Oh, I know exactly who I want to tell first." Rikki spoke, her eyes locked on Zane.

"Ok, who?" Will held onto her tightly, keeping her from escaping.

Rikki looked directly into Will's eyes. "I'm going to tell everyone." She said in a monotone voice.

"Wait, what?" Will tried to get Rikki to look at him, but she wouldn't focus. "Rikki, think things over. Don't do anything rash."

Rikki looked at Will. "You're right." Her tone warmed and her face softened. "I'll think things over first."

Will was not convinced. "Really?"

"Of course." Rikki patted Will's shoulder. "Thanks, bud."

"Ok." Will let Rikki go, but kept a close eye on her.

Rikki stood a few seconds watching Bella sing. She felt herself relax slightly. She took a couple deep breaths, closing her eyes as she did so.

Rikki opened her eyes and tried to make herself enjoy the evening, but her eyes slid involuntarily over to where Zane and Ally sat.

They were locked in a long kiss, both of their arms wrapped around the other.

A fire built up in Rikki. She was angry at Zane for kissing someone else. She was mad at herself for letting it happen. And, even though she knew it was ridiculous, Rikki was mad at the fact that she was a mermaid. Being a mermaid was what had pushed Zane away in the first place. She hadn't wanted to share her life in the water with him, she hadn't confided in him, he had begged her to spend time with him and she'd constantly turned him down to spend time at Mako. And here was Cleo, going public with the secret that had caused so much trouble.

Cleo had been so stressed for so long, struggling to draw a line between being human and being a mermaid. And now she was solving all of her problems. She wouldn't need to hide anymore.

'Must be nice.' Rikki thought to herself. 'Not to have to hide.'

Rikki made up her mind in a flash. Her eyes never left Zane as she marched through the cafe. Zane didn't even notice, he was too caught up in his kiss.

Rikki marched through the crowd, making her way to the stage. She stepped up, interrupting the band's song. Rikki took the microphone right out of a stunned Bella's hands and turned to face the crowd.

"Excuse me everyone, I have an announcement." Rikki addressed the crowd.

Zane looked up, shocked to see Rikki on the stage. He let go of Ally and stood, hesitantly, ready to try to fix the commotion. Bella backed away from Rikki, nervous to see what she was up to.

"Rikki, what are you doing?" Lewis hissed at her from where he sat behind his drum set.

Rikki ignored him. She found herself momentarily blinded by the bright light that shone on the stage. It seemed like hundreds of eyes were focused on her. The cafe was silent as everyone waited to see what Rikki had to say.

Rikki looked around the room, taking everything in. Her eyes landed on Zane, who was watching her with a nervous look of anticipation. Her eyes then landed on Ally, who appeared to be bored to death with the interruption.

"I'm done hiding from everyone." Rikki announced into the microphone. She looked Zane dead in the eye, holding to gaze for several seconds.

Breaking the stare, Rikki spun around and grabbed a bottle of water that sat next to Nate's guitar. Without hesitation, she turned the bottle upside down over her head, dousing herself in pure water in front of the entire crowd.

"Rikki, no!" Will tried to make it to the stage but couldn't make it through the wall of people in front of him.

Rikki breathed, silently counting to ten in her head. She knew what was about to happen.

"Rikki, what are you doing?" Zane dashed onto the stage, a look of pure panic on his face. "You're going to change!" He shouted.

Rikki didn't say a word, she just looked at Zane with hard eyes. Zane reached his arms out to catch her just as Rikki began to change. She landed right in Zane's arms, her long fin unfurling in front of her. Zane's knees buckled as he collapsed onto the stage, Rikki on full display in his arms.

The cafe was silent as everyone processed what had just happened. Then the roar of voices began.


	7. Open

Eyes widened and shouting began as the crowd of people began to process what they had just seen. Lewis pulled himself together in a flash.'

"Come on, help me. NOW." Lewis said to Zane urgently as he dashed to Rikki's side.

The two boys lifted Rikki together and made a mad dash to Zane's office. The roar of voices followed them down the hall, but they managed to get the office door locked before anyone could push their way inside. Their voices grew louder as they pounded on the closed door.

Will pushed and shoved his way through the crowd and finally made his way to an incredibly stunned Bella. "You need to get out of here right now." He held her hands tightly in his.

"But, Rikki-" Bella started

"Rikki did this to herself." Will spoke seriously. "But unless you want to get tied into this as well I highly suggest you get away from here."

Bella nodded. "You're right. Meet me at home after all this calms down?"

"I don't see it calming down." Will said solemnly. "I'll call you when I know something."

Bella ran through the crowd and out the front door. Will watched to make sure she made it out of the cafe safely before joining the pushing crowd. He shouted questions and made sure he looked completely vacant, as if this was a huge shock to him as well. Will figured the safest way through all of the mess was just to join in and pretend he knew nothing of mermaids.

Zane and Lewis dropped Rikki on the couch.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" Zane paced the room rapidly as he spoke, his hands gripping his hair in panic.

"Seriously, Rikki, do you have any idea what you've done?" Lewis's voice was shrill with panic. "What you've done to all of us?"

"I didn't do anything to all of us." Rikki said sullenly. He tone was completely unapologetic. "I did it for myself."

"No." Zane's voice was ice cold. He looked directly at Rikki. "You've done this to me. And to Lewis. That whole crowd saw me run on stage to stop you. Rikki, they're not idiots. They'll know that we've known. Do you really think they'll leave us alone?"

"I didn't ask you to catch me." Rikki said defiantly, though her tone wavered. "You did that on your own."

"I couldn't help it." Zane muttered under his breath.

The pounding on the door got louder. The door shook on it's hinges as people tried to force their way into the little room.

"What do we do now?" Lewis had broken out into a cold sweat, trying desperately to think of a way out of this.

"Rikki seems pleased enough with herself." Zane's tone was harsh and sarcastic. "Come on, Lewis. Can't you see? This is exactly what she wanted." With that, Zane walked to the office door and pulled it open. He slipped out into the cafe as throngs of people pushed their way inside.

People poured into the office where Rikki still lay on the couch, tail and all. Everyone was talking at once, too fast for Rikki to understand what anyone was saying. Cameras flashed and video recorders came out.

"Hey." Rikki held one hand up in the air.

The room instantly silenced. Whispers fluttered around the room as people craned their necks to get a good look at Rikki.

"Ah, thanks?" Rikki began, unsure of what she wanted to say. "I, uh, appreciate all of the... interest. One second."

Rikki held her hand out over her fin and, to the utter amazement of the crowd, began to dry herself off. In a few seconds her legs reappeared. The room erupted.

"Rikki, how long have you been this way?"

"Were you born part fish?"

"Are you the only one?"

"Do you have any other powers?"

The questions came one right after another, too fast for Rikki to answer any of them. Lewis had backed away from her and for the time being it didn't appear like anyone had noticed. Everyone was too focused on Rikki and her transformation.

Rikki's eyes widened slightly as she looked around the room. Somehow she hadn't been prepared for the attention she was receiving. She had expected to shock everyone, but someone she hadn't expected everyone to go quite so crazy.

"Um, I'm glad you all enjoyed my little trick." Rikki laughed uneasily. "I've been working on it for ages, you know. It's really, ah, high tech, huh?" Rikki knew she was grasping at straws, but she was starting to realize what a big mistake she'd made.

Rikki casually tried to walk to the door but the crowd wasn't about to let her leave.

"That was no costume." A girl Rikki recognized from school said skeptically.

"Of course it was!" Rikki tried to sound convincing, but her voice was strained. "Now, if you'll just step aside so I can head home-"

A stream of water flew through the air and splashed all over Rikki.

"What the hell?" Rikki yelled at the boy who had thrown it. He didn't seem to hear her, he just watched her with a dumb expression plastered across his face.

Rikki sighed in frustrated defeat as she felt herself start to change. The crowd parted just enough to let her fall forward onto the floor. This time, the camera flashes were almost blinding as she looked up at everyone.

Lewis found himself with a choice. Should he try to help Rikki and, therefore, expose his involvement? Or should he sneak out now, while everyone was distracted?

"You're already in this. Everyone's already seen you." Lewis muttered quietly to himself. Bottom line, it was Rikki. She was his friend and he wasn't about to desert her. Like Zane had, Lewis remembered.

"Get out of the way!" Lewis shoved his way through the crowd. "Move!" He shouted as he made his way to Rikki.

More out of surprise than compliance, the crowd let Lewis through. They watched him expectantly, waiting to see what he had to say.

"Rikki, dry off. Now." Lewis said firmly as he stood protectively over her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the barrage of questions directed at him began.

""Lewis? Are you a mermaid too?"

"You carried her off the stage awful fast, you must have known!"

"Zane did too!"

"Does she have you under a spell?"

"What about Cleo?"

"She must be one too!"

Lewis's eyes snapped open at the mention of Cleo's name. Cleo didn't want this. Cleo wanted to go public, sure, but not like this. Lewis thought hard and he thought fast. He needed to distance Cleo from all this, and he couldn't do that if everyone knew that she was Rikki's best friend and that he was dating her.

"I don't date Cleo anymore." Lewis managed to choke the words out. He held one hand out to Rikki to help her stand. "I've been dating Rikki for over a month." Lewis gave Rikki a meaningful look. "Haven't we, Rikki?"

Rikki was not anywhere close to following Lewis's train of thought, but she was smart enough to just nod.

The crowd continued to shout questions out to the pair, and several more attempts at water throwing had to be dodged, but Lewis and Rikki managed to make their way to the office door. They stepped through the doorway hand in hand and looked into the rest of the cafe.

"Oh my god." Rikki exhaled. The entire cafe was packed with people, and everyone was staring right at her.

"Everyone! Either get on the floor or clear out! Now!" A booming voice filled the cafe.

"Someone called the cops?" Rikki looked around, dumbstruck, as 4 police officers began making their way through the people.

"People are crazy." Lewis looked around for a way out. "Come on, fast."

The pair hid their faces and made a mad dash out the side door and onto the beach outside. The crowd was too busy chattering and trying to tell the cops what had happened to keep track of where Rikki had gone.

Lewis and Rikki ran as fast as they could, not sure where to go.

"Hurry." Lewis nodded towards the water. "Swim out to Mako."

"Mako?" Rikki was slightly panicked. "But everyone _knows_."

"They don't know about Mako, though. Go, quick." Lewis took off towards his house, pulling out his phone to call Cleo as he ran.

Rikki wavered slightly, but eventually she dove out into the waves and sped out towards Mako.

"She did what?" Cleo couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Lewis repeated himself. "I can't believe it either. I'm almost to your house. I can't stay long."

"Why not?" Cleo frowned.

Lewis swallowed. "I'll explain when I get there."

Will sat on the floor of the cafe, trying to figure out what was going on. Someone had called the police. They had told everyone to either get on the floor or get out. Will had decided to sit on the floor, hoping he could hear what people were saying.

He heard plenty. People all around him were trying to tell the cops what they had seen. Some were seriously scared and wanted Rikki arrested. Most thought it was totally awesome and wanted to see what else Rikki could do.

Will sat, waiting. He had kept constant contact with Bella via text. At the moment the thing he was the most worried about was her safety.

Lewis dashed into Cleo's house without bothering to knock.

"Well hello, Lewis. Nice to see you." Don said sarcastically from the couch.

Lewis ran upstairs to Cleo's bedroom. He quickly pulled open the door and dashed inside, pulling the door shut tightly behind him.

Cleo looked up from where she stood by her desk. "Lewis." She breathed as she ran forward and pulled him into a tight hug. "What is going on?" She looked deep into his eyes.

"Everything is a mess." Lewis quickly told Cleo about what Rikki had done, and how he had been subsequently involved.

"You need to know something." Lewis said quietly.

"What?" Cleo couldn't imagine what else he had to tell her.

"I told everyone that Rikki and I were dating." Lewis said quickly.

"You what?" Cleo didn't understand why Lewis was telling her this.

Lewis looked away from Cleo as he spoke. "I had to try to help Rikki, I couldn't just let her lay there with everyone staring at her. So I tried to help her. As soon as I got to her everyone started asking questions and someone said that you must be involved too." Lewis's eyes locked on Cleo's. "I couldn't let anyone suggest that you were a mermaid too, I was trying to figure out a way to explain how Zane and I could know about you but you could be uninvolved." Lewis sighed. "So I told everyone that Rikki and I are dating. I figured that people may believe that Zane and I both know about her because we date her. People are more likely to ask why I know if I'm her friend's boyfriend."

Cleo nodded slowly, trying to process everything. "So... you're telling me that... my best friend exposed herself as a mermaid to everyone... _and_ you are going to have to pretend to date her in public?"

Lewis swallowed. "I hadn't thought about it past getting her out of there." he said honestly. "But you're right." And Lewis realized that Cleo was. Once the media attention turned to him he would have to try and back up his story. He would have to pretend to date Rikki. He would do anything to keep the attention off Cleo.

"Where is Rikki now?" Cleo said in a blank tone.

"I told her to go to Mako Island." Lewis answered. "I'm sure there will be people at her house by now.

"Cleo?" The pair heard Don shout from downstairs. "I think you should come down here right now!"

Cleo sighed but stood to go downstairs. Lewis followed right behind her. "What is it, Dad?"

Don didn't say anything, but instead pointed at the television.

Cleo felt the blood leave her head as she looked at the picture on the screen. There, in bold letters, was the headline 'MERMAID EXPOSED,' right next to a huge picture of Rikki. A video of Rikki transforming in the office played on a loop as the reporter excitedly read the story.

Don looked away from the TV briefly. "You never told me that Rikki was one too."

Cleo exchanged a look with Lewis and then looked back at the television. Her hand grasped Lewis's tightly.


	8. Plans

Rikki sped towards Mako, unsure of what step to take next after she got there. Was she just supposed to stay there? Waiting? She didn't even have her phone on her to call anyone. Rikki made her second snap decision of the night. She quickly turned around and raced back to shore.

The whole town seemed to explode after Rikki's announcement. Everyone was looking for her, but no one knew where she had gotten off to. The news was littered with pictures and video's of Rikki's transformation. Several people at the cafe were being interviewed on camera.

Cleo and Lewis were still standing in front of the TV screen, frozen.

"Where is Rikki now." Cleo's eyes were still glued to the screen.

"Mako." Lewis answered quietly.

Cleo nodded. "Dad, we need to borrow a boat."

Don was still staring at the television. "How many more of you are there?"

"Bella's a mermaid too." Cleo gave in. "Dad, listen. We really need to use one of your boats."

"Bella too? _And_ Rikki? Holy smokes." Don didn't appear to be listening to half of what Cleo said. He was just watching the news with his mouth hanging open.

"Come on." Cleo took Lewis by the elbow and pulled him towards the back door. She grabbed a set of keys off the hook on the wall and hurried outside towards the docks.

"Where are we going?" Lewis asked anxiously.

"You're taking my dad's boat." Cleo spoke confidently. "We're going to Mako to get Rikki."

"His fishing boat?" Lewis took the keys from Cleo.

"Yup." Cleo boarded the medium sized boat quickly. "I can't swim because too many people are on mermaid watch. And we can't take a smaller boat because water might get in. I'll stay in the cabin. You drive. Quickly."

Lewis nodded. He kissed Cleo quickly on the cheek and turned the key in the ignition.

Zane paced back and forth across his living room floor, deep in thought. "I should have just let her fall." He muttered angrily under his breath. Zane kicked a corner of the wall. He knew that even if he had a chance to do things over he would still race to catch Rikki every time.

Zane leaned against his couch, arms folded across his chest. What right did Rikki have to tell everyone her secret like that? 'She has every right.' Zane reminded himself. "It's her life." Zane spoke to no one but himself. "She can do with it what she wants. You don't have any say in it anymore."

Zane's doorbell rang, bringing his focus back into the present. With a sigh of aggravation, Zane stalked to the front door and wrenched it open.

Bright lights immediately filled the doorway and blinded him. Several microphones were thrust into Zane's face as dozens of questions flew at him.

"Mr. Bennett, how long have you known that Rikki Chadwick is a mermaid?"

"Did she put you under a spell?"

"Zane! We'd love to have you on our talk show..."

Zane held a hand up firmly in the air. The reporters hushed with anticipation.

"As I've told the last several reporters who have shown up at my door uninvited, I will be releasing an official statement about my relationship with Rikki Chadwick tomorrow at 10AM. I'll answer questions at that time."

Zane slammed the door shut in their faces without another word, ignoring the shouts of the frenzied news people outside. He leaned his forehead against the cool door and let out a long sigh of frustration.

"An official statement, huh? Very fancy." The unexpected voice surprised Zane and caused him to jump. He spun around quickly.

"Rikki?" Zane half-whispered in utter disbelief. "What the hell are you doing here? Are you crazy?"

"I needed to talk to you." Rikki began.

"Sh!" Zane clapped his hand over Rikki's mouth and pulled her down the stairs and into the basement, where there were no windows. He shut the door tightly behind them but still spoke in a harsh whisper. "How did you even get in here? There are reporters crawling all over the place outside."

"I know." Rikki's voice was equally quiet. "I snuck in through the back door, I know where you keep the spare key."

"Did anyone see you?" Zane asked intensely.

"No, I was careful." Rikki tried to sound calm.

"Ok." Zane did not sound convinced. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "What can you possibly have to say to me?"

Rikki swallowed hard. Apologies were not something she was good at. "I'm sorry." She managed to look Zane in the eyes as she said the words.

"Sorry?" Zane's eyebrows raised. "Have you seen the madness you've caused? Reporters have been ringing my door bell and my phone has been ringing off the hook all night. Everyone wants to know what I know about Rikki, the mermaid."

Rikki felt her natural defensiveness rising inside her. "I said I was sorry, alright? I lost my head."

"You've lost your freedom too." Zane added bitterly.

"I know, Zane." Rikki said angrily. This was not at all how she'd planned this talk to go.

"Why did you do it?" Zane paced angrily. "That's what I don't understand, Rikki. Why would you do a thing so drastic?"

"I don't know." Rikki said honestly. It was a question she'd been asking herself over and over. She knew she had been angry about Zane, but she had been plenty angry with him in the past and she'd never reacted so drastically. She wasn't sure exactly what had snapped inside her, but whatever it was, it had picked the wrong time to flair up.

"You don't know." Zane sank to the floor, sitting with his head in his hands.

Rikki sat down quietly, opposite Zane. "So, what are you going to tell everyone at your press conference? You going to tell them all about me?"

"I'm not going to tell them anything." Zane stared at the floor blankly.

Rikki looked closely at her ex-boyfriend. "Really?" She said skeptically. "Nothing? I find that hard to believe."

Zane looked up at Rikki wearily. He was tired. "I'm going to tell everyone what they already know and then get out of there. I'll tell them that, yes I knew you were a mermaid. No, you didn't have me under any spell. Yes, you're a totally normal girl." Zane paused. "And I'll lie a bit. I'll say, no, I don't know how it happened, and no, I don't know of any other mermaids." Zane shrugged his shoulders. "And then I'm done."

"You won't tell them about Mako?" Rikki asked.

"No." Zane said solemnly.

"Thanks." Rikki said.

A quiet took over the basement as the pair sat in silence.

"Listen." Rikki spoke up. "This may be the last time you and I get to talk for a while. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. If I could do tonight over again I would handle things differently."

"I wouldn't." Zane's words echoed through the basement.

"I'd... better get going." Rikki said awkwardly as she stood.

"Where?" Zane stood as well.

"I'm not sure, but I cant just stay here." Rikki brushed off her shorts and started for the door.

"Wait, why not?" Zane caught her arm and held her in place."

Rikki looked at Zane as if he had suddenly gone stupid. "Because everyone is looking for me. I've got to find somewhere to hide until I decide when to come out."

"You're here." Zane's tone softened just a tad. "Just stay here. No one will know."

"You think that's smart?" Rikki examined Zane carefully. "All it takes is one person to see me and you're screwed."

"I'm not sure of anything anymore." Zane's tone was completely honest. "But you _are _ here now. Just stay here."

"Ok." Rikki wasn't about to fight him on this. She didn't have anything up her sleeve.

"Good." Zane seemed relieved. "You can stay in the guest bedroom."

"Ok." Rikki was utterly defeated. She didn't know where else to go.

"Good." Zane directed Rikki up the stairs. "Be quiet," He reminded her.

Rikki didn't say a word as Zane directed her towards the guest room. She ducked through the door without anything audible between her and Zane.

"I won't stay long." Rikki whispered.

"Stay as long as you need." Zane whispered next.

Rikki and Zane locked each other's eyes for a long, silent while before Rikki broke the tension.

"Can I use your phone? I should let the gang know where I am."

Zane nodded towards the phone hanging in the hallway before shutting the door to his room firmly. Rikki spared one last look towards Zane's door before turning to the phone and dialing quickly.

Cleo and Lewis reached Mako Island in record time. They tore through the trees, finally bursting through the cavern and into the moon pool.

"Rikki?" Cleo called through the cave. She spun around to face Lewis. "Where is she?"

"I have no idea, I told her to come here." Lewis paced the cave, looking deep into the water.

"Do you think someone caught her?" Cleo wrung her hands with worry.

"I don't know." Lewis took Cleo's hands in his. "Come on, let's get to where there's phone signal and we'll call Will. Maybe he'll know where Rikki is."

Cleo nodded and followed Lewis quickly back out of the cavern the way they'd come.

"No, I haven't heard from her." Will spoke into his phone. "And there's nothing on the news about her being caught." Will flipped through the channels of the television. Every single channel seemed to be covering a story having to do with Rikki. "I'll call if I hear anything."

Will shut the phone and walked over to Bella. "Rikki isn't at Mako." He said grimly.

"Where is she?" Bella stood from the couch and crossed her arms tightly across her chest."

"I have no idea." Will wrapped his arm protectively around his girlfriend.

Suddenly, Bella's phone lit up. She groaned as she reached for it. "If this is another reporter calling about Rikki I'm going to throw up." Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the display. "It's Zane?" She held the phone to her ear. "Hello?" Bella's eyes opened wide. "Rikki! We've been looking for you, where are you?" Bella listened closely. "And are you safe there? What are you going to do next?" Bella was quiet for a long time as she listed to Rikki talk. "Ok. Yeah, I'll spread the word. Be careful, Rikki."

Bella set her phone on the counter and turned to Will. "Rikki is at Zane's" She said quickly as she picked her phone back up and dialed Lewis's number. She put the phone on speaker so that Will could listen in.

"Yes?" Lewis's voice sounded weary.

"Lewis, Rikki is at Zane's house."

"Thank goodness." Lewis's voice dripped with relief.

Bella stayed on the phone with Lewis for several minutes filling him in on what Rikki had told her. Will listened closely, his eyes widening as he heard Bella's words. It was hard for him to keep himself quiet during Bella and Lewis's conversation. Eventually Bella clicked her phone shut and turned back to Will.

"What's her plan?" Will asked in disbelief. "Is she ready for that?"

"Well, it's really Zane's plan." Bella paced. "Rikki's following his lead I guess."

"I just don't know if it's the best idea..." Will worried.

"Hey." Bella reached one arm around her boyfriend. "It's going to be alright, remember?"

Will nodded, unconvinced.

"Do you need anything?" Zane knocked lightly on the door to the guestroom.

Rikki looked up at him. "No." She said quietly. "Thanks for the clothes." She gestured to the oversized shirt and shorts Zane had given her.

"You know where I am, if you need me." Zane didn't quite meet Rikki's eyes as he spoke. He shut the door behind him and made his way to his own room.

Both Rikki and Zane laid in their separate beds staring at the ceiling for a long time before they managed to drift off to sleep.


	9. Press

Rikki stood in front of the floor length mirror in Zane's bathroom. "Ok, Rikki." She spoke to herself confidently. "This will all go away soon." She looked herself dead in the eye as she said the words, building up as much bravery as she possibly could.

She knew that her plan was a shaky one at best. She was basically copying Zane's idea. Confront the media. Take them by surprise. She wasn't going to hide from them anymore. She had brought this on herself, and she was going to confront everyone head on. She would answer their questions, pose for some pictures, smile and wave. They would all get bored with her eventually, right?

Cleo and Lewis were headed quickly towards Will's boat shed to meet up with Bella and Will. They walked cautiously, careful to keep their eyes peeled for reporters and other curious eyes. They reached the familiar blue shed after several minutes of walking. They'd had to dodge several groups of gossiping people on the way, but they'd made it without attracting any attention.

The two burst through the door without knocking. Bella and Will looked up sleepily from their seats at the counter. They hadn't gotten much rest the night before.

"Are you ready?" Bella asked Lewis with concern in her eyes.

Lewis nodded wordlessly. He was only there to drop off Cleo. Then he was headed to Zane's. He was going to stand beside Rikki when she spoke to the press that day. They'd spoken about it for a long time last night. Rikki didn't want Lewis to put himself in the spotlight, she wanted him to stay hidden somewhere away from the media. Lewis had made the decision for himself, and it really hadn't taken that much thought. Rikki was one of his (and Cleo's) closest friends. She needed all the support she could get, and Lewis was one of the only people that could offer it to her in public.

Plus, as Lewis had reminded her, He was already in the spotlight. Everyone had seen that he was perfectly aware of the fact that Rikki was a mermaid. He'd told everyone he was dating her. His phone had been ringing off the hook ever since then. He might as well stand up with her and answer questions.

"What time are you meeting her?" Will asked.

"1:10." Lewis answered. "Zane's press conference starts at 1, all the reporters will be there. It should be pretty safe for Rikki and I to sneak over."

Cleo hugged Lewis tightly, giving him a gently kiss before pulling away. She sat on the couch with Bella, who comforted her friend worriedly.

Will shook Lewis's hand solemnly. "Good luck." He said.

Lewis nodded. He forced a smile to his face. "No worries." He said before walking out the door and heading to Zane's.

Cleo watched him go, trying not to be nervous for him. Suddenly her eyes lit up. "Hey." Cleo got everyone's attention. "I know a phone call we need to make."

Cleo hurried to her phone and dialed a number. She waited nervously for someone to pick up the other line.

"Hey Laurie." Cleo said hesitantly.

"I'm getting ready to head over to the cafe." Zane straightened his tie as he stepped into the guest bedroom to speak to Rikki.

Rikki nodded. "Alright. Good luck, I'll be there shortly after you start talking. But don't tell anyone."

Zane and Rikki stood there in silence for a few moments just staring at one another. This was a huge adventure they were about to be thrown into and they both knew it.

"Zane, I-" Rikki started to speak just as Zane's phone rang.

Zane held up one finger and opened the phone. "Are you here?" He asked. "Great. Come in through the back door. Lock it behind you. I'm upstairs." Zane shut the phone, looking preoccupied.

Rikki's eyes narrowed. "Who was that?" She asked.

Zane's eyes flashed guiltily for just a second before a practiced calmness returned to his face.

The answer to Rikki's question came dashing up the stairs a moment later.

Ally's eyes examined Rikki as if she was looking at an alien. "Wow..." She said reverently. She looked Rikki up and down with wide eyes. "Can I like, touch you?"

Rikki's mouth had dropped open at the sight of Ally. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "What is she doing here?" She asked Zane through clenched teeth.

"She's here to support me." Zane said boldly as he took Ally's hand in his. "She _is_ my girlfriend."

"This is so totally cool." Ally gushed. "So, were you always a mermaid?" All of a sudden Ally froze, an intense expression on her face. "Oh my god. Was the little mermaid a true story?" She asked excitedly.

"Um, Ally, I think we'd better be going." Zane ushered her out of the room before she could continue speaking. he hung back for just a second to speak to Rikki. "Hey, be careful today." He said before pulling the door closed behind him.

Rikki took several deep breaths, trying not to let Zane get to her. She didn't know if he was purposely trying to get under her skin or if he was genuinely ignorant to the situation. Surely he knew how much it upset her to see him with another girl? Rikki shook herself. Maybe Zane got it, maybe he didn't. But her jealousy was what had gotten her into the situation in the first place. Rikki calmed herself quickly and began rehearsing her answers as she put a floppy hat over her tell-tale blonde hair.

Lewis waited a few blocks away from Zane's house, keeping an eye on his watch. At about a quarter til 1 he got a text from Zane.

'Left the house a moment ago. Should be safe.' The text read.

Lewis walked confidently to the familiar white house. He let himself in the back door quickly and locked it behind him.

"Lewis." Rikki said, relieved. "I am so glad you're here." She pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you." She murmured.

"Of course." Lewis tried to comfort her. "We'll get all of this worked out. Are you ready?"

"I think so." Rikki said nervously. "So, to review?"

Lewis spoke in a rehearsed tone. "You and I have been dating for six weeks. You told me your secret after a week of dating. You dated Zane before me, and he knew your secret too. I don't know anything about how you became a mermaid, nor do I know anything about any other mermaids. Is that about it?"

Rikki nodded. "I think so, yeah. Do you really think they'll believe that I told you the secret after just a week?"

"I think they'll believe just about anything we tell them." Lewis said.

"Ok." Rikki bit her lip. "I'm ready."

"So am I." Lewis said reassuringly.

Rikki checked her watch. "It's 1." She said. "Zane will be getting started."

"Then we should probably head on over." Lewis tried to smile, but failed. He took Rikki's hand in his and led her to the door.

"Thank you all for coming." Zane spoke into the microphone at the cafe.

The place was utterly and completely packed out. There wasn't room for a single person to stand in the crowded eatery. People were crowded outside, trying to get a look inside.

"I'm here to answer your questions and explain my involvement with Rikki Chadwick." Zane recited.

The reporters immediately began shouting out questions. Zane held up one hand, silencing the crowd.

"Let me make my statement first. Then I will answer questions." He said.

The crowd hushed instantly, waiting for him to begin speaking.

"I met Rikki," Zane began. "Three years ago. We met in school. We didn't get on very well." Zane swallowed hard as he continued talking. "We began dating about six months after we met. Shortly thereafter, I learned her secret."

Zane breathed deeply. He was lying, but he figured the simpler the story, the better.

"I was surprised after I found out what Rikki was, but I was supportive. I helped her keep the secret for many years. We broke up several months ago because we fought over work issues. I still care about her and I have kept her secret to myself." Zane took a long drink of water.

"Rikki is, for all intents and purposes, a normal girl." He said firmly. "She can transform into a mermaid, but she is just like all of the rest of you in so many ways. I implore you to treat her as a normal person, who just happens to be a bit different. To my best knowledge she is the only mermaid in the world. I have no knowledge of how she came to be this way. She is no harm to any of us."

Zane looked around the room, meeting the eyes of as many people as he could. "I will now answer your questions." He said reluctantly.

A roar went up through the room as practically everyone threw their hands up in the air. Zane chose a reporter from a huge news station to speak.

"Thank you, Mr. Bennett." The reporter said breathlessly. "What is your relationship with Rikki Chadwick at the moment? Are you two still close?"

Zane processed for a moment before answering. "We are still friends, but not close friends. I have moved on from Rikki. Though I have kept her secret, we are no longer close."

Zane took a deep breath after answering. He didn't like the fact that his answer was completely true. He looked around, choosing another reporter to ask a question next.

"Mr. Bennett, you are certain that there are no other mermaids in existence?" The brunette reporter waited expectantly.

"No, no other mermaids." Zane answered without pause. "None that I am aware of. Next question?"

A hundred hands flew in the air. Zane picked the next one absently.

"Does the mermaid have magic? Is it possible she's addled your brain?" A male reporter asked in a loud voice.

Zane looked down for a moment, putting together his answer. "Rikki has the power to heat water." He said calmly. "She does not have any kind of mind control power."

Hands flew in the air, desperate for Zane's attention.

"Zane!" One reporter shouted. "You say you and Rikki have broken up, yet you rushed to her side in the cafe last night. Do you still have feelings for her?"

"I have moved on." Zane said without hesitation. "I have new girlfriend now."

Ally smiled and waved to the crowd. "That's me!" She gushed. "I can answer any questions you have!" She said happily.

The media payed attention to Ally for only a few seconds before turning it's eyes back to Zane. "How ofte are you in contact with Rikki?" A male reporter in the front row asked. "Do you know where she is?"

Zane met eyes with Lewis, who had just appeared off stage. "I do know where she is." Zane's eyes never left Lewis's.

Zane stepped back away from the microphone as he looked offstage. "I'd like to introduce someone who can answer your questions better than I." He said. "Lewis Mcartney." Zane stepped back, clapping, as Lewis walked onto the stage to the microphone.

"Hello, everyone." Lewis said nervously.

The crowd exploded.

"Lewis, how long have you been in love with Rikki Chadwick?"

"Do you posses mermaid powers?"

"You're a scientist, how is any of this possible?"

The questions flew at Lewis. He swallowed hard. "I think I know someone who can answer your questions more effectively." He spoke.

Lewis looked to the side of the stage. Rikki walked out of the dark wings and walked to the center of the stage.

The room erupted when she appeared. Questions flew out at her and the noise inside the cafe became unbearable. She stood at the mike for several seconds while she waited for the room to hush.

"I have something to say." She spoke.

The room anxiously waited for her to continue.


	10. Ready

Zane stepped into the wings as Rikki took her place behind the podium. She looked offstage, locking eyes with him for a long moment before turning confident eyes back to the crowd. Zane watched quietly.

"Thank you all for coming." Rikki said calmly.

The room went wild. Everyone was shouting and snapping pictures. Rikki stepped back smoothly as one reporter clumsily slung a bottle of water at her. It missed her by a mile, but Rikki's eyes narrowed.

"I'm here to talk to you and to answer questions, but I promise that if someone tosses water on this stage you won't get another word out of me." She said icily.

The room settled down quickly. Rikki looked around the room before continuing.

"I'm here today to talk to all of you about what's happened to me. About what happens when I touch water." Rikki said smoothly.

The room was in hushed silence as they looked at Rikki with wide eyes.

Rikki spoke quickly and efficiently. She told the group that something odd had happened to her a few years ago. She didn't tell them anything about Mako Island, and she left her fellow mermaids out of the story completely. She simply said that something odd had happened and that somehow one way or another she had become a mermaid.

Rikki described exactly what happened when she came in contact with water. She explained that it took roughly about ten seconds for the transformation to take place. She told everyone about her power to heat water and create lightning.

This all felt very surreal to Rikki, to be standing in front of practically everyone in their town and tell them all her biggest secret. She kept waiting to wake up from a weird and terrible dream, but it was all surprisingly real.

Rikki finished her prepared speech, careful not to mention a word about Bella or Cleo. This was where she ventured into completely untrue territory. She and Lewis had gone over their answers carefully, she just had to be cautious of getting all the details right.

"I would like to discuss my history with Zane Bennett and Lewis Mcartney." Rikki said, a tad shakily.

Zane stood at the edge of the stage. He didn't know what Rikki was about to say, but he was on alert in case she needed him to back her up.

"Zane and I began dating not long after I first began transforming." Rikki said. "He found out my secret and he's kept it. There isn't much else to tell. We broke off our relationship amicably and I recently began dating Lewis."

Zane stepped back, slightly surprised. He had expected Rikki to have more to say about the time they'd spent together. Instead, she'd summarized their entire relationship in one sentence. Zane was surprised to find that he was more than a little bit hurt at Rikki's words. He'd thought they had meant more to one another than just one sentence.

Rikki kept speaking. "Lewis and I are incredibly close." Her words were not untruthful, although they were deceptive. "He knows everything there is to know about my condition. He's conducted tests and collected scientific data. He is the person I am absolutely closest to."

Rikki's eyes flickered unwillingly towards Zane for a split second before she continued.

"Lewis, Zane and only a handful of others have known me for what I am. I decided to go public with the information and I am ready to answer questions now." She spoke.

Everyone in the room began to ask questions at once. Rikki pointed at a random reporter in the crowd.

"Thank you Rikki." The man breathed. "My question is, why now? Why come out publicly now?"

"I just felt the time was right." Rikki spoke without meeting anyone's eyes. "I was tired of keeping the secret to myself."

The room filled with further questions. "Do Zane or Lewis have any supernatural powers?" One female reporter shouted above the others.

"No." Rikki said quickly.

Lewis was swift to step up to the microphone behind her. "I have no superhuman or merman powers whatsoever." He said breathlessly.

"Nor do I." Zane stepped out of the wings and over to the podium. "Lewis and I are perfectly normal." He said clearly.

The crowd instantly began shouting out questions to the pair of boys. Lewis held his hands up in surrender and stepped back.

Zane stepped forward. "What questions do you have?" He said boldly.

Rikki's eyes narrowed a bit as Zane stepped up to the microphone.

"Did Rikki ever turn you into a merman?" A female reporter shouted at Zane.

"No." Zane laughed under his breath slightly at the question. "She doesn't do that."

"No I don't" Rikki marched out onto the stage and grabbed the microphone away from Zane. "I don't work magic on anyone." She said firmly, shooting a sideways look at Zane.

"What is next for you, Rikki?" An unfamiliar voice shouted from the crowd.

"That is up to me." a familiar voice walked towards Rikki as it spoke. Rikki stepped aside in surprise as Laurie took the microphone with confidence. He just barely managed to keep his voice from shaking with nerves as he spoke.

Laurie stood beside Rikki without meeting her eyes. Rikki looked at Lewis, confused. Lewis gave an almost imperceptible nod and winked quickly at Rikki.

"I am Rikki Chadwick's official manager." Laurie said firmly. "I will be arranging all interviews. I will set all meetings, and I will offer approval on all public appearances from now on."

Laurie looked around the room with an assertive calmness to himself. "From now on I will be approving all of Rikki's appearances. I will also be monitoring all of the testing done on Rikki Chadwick."

Rikki was glad to have Laurie's support up there on the stage. "I will be cooperating fully with the scientists here on the coast." She spoke quickly. "We will have a full report out within the end of the week."

Laurie retook charge over the microphone. "I have been monitoring Rikki since her first transformation." He lied. "She is the only known mermaid in existence." Laurie's eyes flashed meaningfully at Lewis as he spoke.

"Now," Laurie gestured for Rikki to join him at the podium. "If you have a current, authorized press pass, we would like to invite you to the marine park for a demonstration of what Rikki is capable of. We will also be setting interview arrangements at that time."

With that, Laurie took Rikki gently by the elbow and led her firmly offstage, followed by Lewis and Zane. Once out of sight, he sank down into a chair with a huge exhale. "I am so glad that's over." He breathed.

"Laurie, you were amazing out there." Rikki's eyes were wide open with shock. "How did you- Why did you- I mean, how did you come up with all of that?"

"Part Lewis, part google." Laurie rubbed his temples as he spoke. "Lewis gave me details. Google told me what a manager does."

"Thank you, Laurie." Lewis said sincerely.

Laurie met his eye. "At least I'll actually get to publish these results." His eyes narrowed as they flickered on Rikki. "I suppose that makes up for Cleo lying to me about the existence of other mermaids. But Lewis," Laurie looked him dead in the eye. "I will expect total honesty from now on. From all of you."

Zane, Rikki, and Lewis nodded seriously.

"Ok then." Laurie's face broke out into a grin. "On to the marine park? I have a car parked out back."

"Are you two coming?" Rikki looked to Lewis and Zane.

"Might as well." Lewis nodded. "I can help Laurie answer questions about you."

"I guess I'll come along as well." Zane said reluctantly.

"Don't do us any favors." Rikki said coldly.

"I'll have to do formal interviews at some point." Zane raised his shoulders. "Otherwise, everyone will keep hounding me. Might as well get it over with."

Rikki rolled her eyes as she pushed past Zane towards the door. Laurie and Lewis led the way out the door. Rikki walked with that pair in front of her and Zane close behind her. A huge crowd was waiting outside for them, but they pushed their way through.

They were just a step or two from the car when an obnoxious teenager shouted through the crowd. "Hey mermaid, catch!"

Before anyone could react, a stream of water sliced through the water and splashed onto the whole group, including Rikki. An elderly man snatched the water gun out of the teen's hands and whacked him in the back the head with it.

"Rikki, hurry!" Lewis held open the back door of the car. Lewis knew their exit would become much more difficult if Rikki transformed right there in the open.

Rikki shot a withering look at the boy before turning to dash into the car as quickly as she could. She jumped into the backseat, followed quickly by Zane. Lewis shut the door behind them and climbed into the passenger seat.

"Ugh." Rikki groaned as her familiar golden fin appeared. There wasn't much room in the backseat of the car, and she became rather smashed against Zane as her fin took up almost all the free space they had.

Laurie started the car engine and navigated them out of the parking lot.

"Sorry." Rikki muttered as she tried to position herself so that she wasn't laying right on top of her ex boyfriend.

"It's no problem." Zane's voice was surprisingly gentle as he helped Rikki readjust.

"Thanks." With Zane's help, Rikki managed to get into a half-sitting position. She met Zane's eyes and for just a moment she forgot how angry she had been with him. She was glad to have him there.

Rikki shook herself. "So, is Ally going to be meeting us at the marine park?" Her eyes narrowed.

Zane frowned. "No, she's not part of the press." He said matter of factly.

"I guess that's the only reason, right?" Rikki's voice reverted to her cold tone. Rikki held her hand out over her fin and began to dry herself. The water steamed away quickly, leaving Rikki with two toned legs.

"Wow..." Laurie said in amazement as he watched in the rear view mirror. "That is seriously cool."

"Thanks." Rikki pushed her way to sit as far away from Zane as possible. "So what's the plan for after we get to the marine pool?"

"Lewis?" Laurie waited expectantly for direction.

"We do a full demonstration." Lewis said . "Rikki, you jump into a clear water tank, change, we help you get out, and you use your power to dry yourself off. We'll tell the crowd to take all the pictures and videos they want. While we're doing that, one of us will be making interview arrangements. I hope you're prepared to do a whole lot of talking. And Rikki," Lewis added solemnly. "I really hope you're ready, because there are going to be a lot more of these. Even though it seems like a huge crowd is out there, they're all Australians. Once this story goes seriously global you're going to have people from all over the world who want to meet the mermaid."

Rikki nodded. "I know."

"And I get to be your manager." Laurie laughed. "Too cool."

The car pulled up at the marine park and drove quickly to the employee entrance. Only cars with staff IDs could get in that way. They pulled into a spot nearest to a large clear tank and hurried into the waiting room to get things set up. It only took a few minutes to get everything set the way they wanted it. They arranged a partition to separate Rikki and Laurie from the rest of the room. Zane was to work with the interviewers and Lewis was going to help wherever he could.

"Ok." Lewis rested his hand on the locked doorknob and looked to the rest of the group. "Are we ready?"

On one side of the door were four people. One of them was regretful, one one was excited, one was worried of being caught in a lie, and one was more than a little bit scared.

On the other side of the door was a crowd of people, anxious to see the mermaid in action.

"We're ready." Rikki nodded shakily.

Lewis opened the door.


	11. Talking

Everything happened surprisingly fast. Time was practically flying by. After seeing just how many reporters had shown up, Laurie suggested breaking the crowd up into groups and letting them into the demonstration in shifts. The first group, over one hundred people, were ushered inside to stand around the edge of the clear circular tank. They crowded at the edge, excitedly taking test pictures and adjusting the settings on their cameras.

"Ready?" Laurie clapped Rikki on the shoulder as he stood beside her. They were in a small room usually used for storing maintenance equipment.

"I sure am." Rikki said with complete confidence. At least, she appeared to have complete confidence. She gave Laurie an excited smile, but deep down she was scared to death. It was way too late to back down now. She looked around the small room. "Where is Lewis?"

"I'm right here." Lewis breezed through the door, shutting it tightly behind him. "I was just getting Zane and Sam set up."

Zane was in charge of setting the appointments for interviews. He was being assisted by Sam, who had called Cleo in a panic the instant she'd seen the news reports about a real mermaid being found. Cleo had filled her in and had forwarded her on to Lewis. She had arrived just a few minutes ago and had immediately jumped in to assist Zane, who was being overrun with people wanting an interview with the mermaid.

Lewis checked his watch. "It's that time." His voice was full of suspense. He reached out and took Rikki's hand tightly in his. "Remember. We're dating." Lewis said quickly.

The trio opened the door and walked together out onto the raised platform a few feet above the crowd.

Rikki could not believe how many people were out there, and this was only the first of three groups they had to demonstrate for today.

The crowd hushed at the sight of Rikki. They stared at her blankly with wide open eyes and mouths. Camera flashes were so bright that Rikki had to shield her eyes.

Laurie took the microphone Lewis held out to him. "Ladies and gentlemen." He announced. "Thank you for coming. Please get your cameras ready, here is... Rikki Chadwick." Laurie stepped to the side slightly.

Rikki stepped up, hand in hand with Lewis. She was glad to have her friend to hold onto. "Is that my cue?" She asked under her breath.

"Yup." Lewis could hardly look away from the huge crowd of people. He managed to force himself to turn to Rikki. He made himself lean forward and brush his lips against Rikki's before joining Laurie at the side of the platform. He hated kissing anyone who wasn't Cleo, but he wanted things to look real.

Rikki looked out at all of the expectant faces staring up at her. She took a long, deep breath.

Then she dove into the pool.

Rikki splashed into the water and let herself sink down a few feet until paddling herself back to the surface. She swam to the raised pool steps and positioned herself so that she was in clear view.

The crowd was completely and totally silent as they watched Rikki change from a human into a real-life honest to goodness mermaid.

Rikki let the transformation complete before raising her eyes to look up at the crowd, anxious to see how everyone would handle it.

The crowd burst into the loudest cheer Rikki had ever heard. She couldn't believe that all of this applause was for her. She swam in a slow circle around the pool, giving everyone a chance to take a clear photo. Everywhere she looked people were smiling wildly. They were animatedly shouting out questions and directing video cameras at the pool enthusiastically.

Rikki swam through the pool for about ten minutes. She showed off her speed in the water along with her ability to hold her breath for prolonged periods of time. Eventually, Lewis signaled for her to swim to the edge so that he and Laurie could help her out of the water.

Rikki swam to them almost reluctantly, flipping her fin brightly behind her.

Lewis and Laurie heaved her out of the water by her arms and set her on the narrow deck that lined the pool.

The crowd became silent once again as Rikki held one arm out over her fin. She slowly clenched her fist, creating heat from thin air. The water quickly steamed off of her until her legs reappeared. Rikki hopped to her feet.

The crowd went absolutely wild.

Rikki faced one side of the crowd, waving and grinning. She turned to face the other side, making sure everyone could get a good picture. She just couldn't believe it. This felt... _good._ All of these people were here cheering her on.

"This is so cool." Rikki giggled as she skipped over to stand beside Lewis.

Laurie began directing the crowd back towards the exit. The people were more than reluctant to leave, but they followed Laurie's direction.

"You need to be careful." Lewis took Rikki's hand in his.

Rikki was too busy waving and smiling to pay too much attention to Lewis's words.

"Rikki." Lewis said firmly. He took Rikki's chin in his hand and gently forced her head to face his. He pulled her face up close and spoke slowly. "I'm serious. You need to be careful."

"I know, Lewis." Rikki spoke to him as if she was talking to a child. "I'll be careful." She wrenched her face out of his hand to face the crowd of people.

Lewis sighed. He was worried that all of this was coming too easily. The crowd was taking this way too well. He knew that not everyone would be so supportive of Rikki. Most of all, Lewis worried about Cleo. He wanted to be standing beside her instead of standing by Rikki. Lewis quickly took out his phone and sent Cleo a quick update.

"Everything going well. The crowd loves her. I love you." Cleo read aloud.

Cleo, Bella, and Will had been anxiously awaiting an update on how the demonstration had gone. They had the tv tuned on the news and the first videos of Rikki's 'show' were just starting to be broadcasted.

A brunette reporter was speaking into her microphone. "And here we have it, the first footage of the real life mermaid, Rikki Chadwick."

The shot changed to one of the marine park pool. The group watched the whole video without making a sound.

"I cannot believe this is happening." Bella breathed.

Will nodded his head slowly in agreement as he watched.

"There you have it." The reporter reappeared onscreen. "Still skeptical? Be sure to tune in this evening for an exclusive interview with the most exciting people of the decade. We'll be speaking with marine biologist and manager Laurie Jones, boyfriend Lewis Mcartney, and of course, the mermaid herself... Rikki Chadwick!"

"Ok then." Cleo said blankly. She was more than ready for Lewis to be out of the spotlight. She missed her boyfriend, and thought she knew it was necessary, watching him holding Rikki's hand made her stomach twist. But still, his tactic seemed to be working. Cleo's phone hadn't wrung all day. Nor had Bella's or Will's. For now at least, the attention seemed to have been effectively diverted.

Bella stood up suddenly, surprising Will and Cleo.

"Where are you going?" Will followed her to the door.

"I'm going for a swim." Bella said decisively. "This is all way too stressful. I need to be in the water."

"Whoa." Will blocked the door. "No way, Bell. Not now. It's too dangerous."

"Come on." Bella tried to push past him. "Everyone is watching Rikki down at the marine park. I can swim through the ocean faster than anyone could ever see me."

"No." Will said firmly. "We don't know what kind of surveillance they might have set up. We shouldn't chance it."

Bella crossed her arms over her chest and took an appraising look at Will. "Are you telling me you're going to keep me here?"

"No," Will's tone softened. "But come on Bella, I know you know it isn't a good idea to go out into the water." He looked to Cleo. "Tell her."

Cleo looked at Bella guiltily. "He's right." She said meekly.

"Fine." Bella tried not to sound bitter. "Then I'll just go home and take a bath I guess. I hope Rikki had a good grasp on how much she's screwed things up for the rest of us."

"I'll walk you home." Will offered quickly. It wasn't that he didn't trust Bella not to go into the ocean, but he wanted to make sure she made it back safely.

"I guess I'll head home too." Cleo said glumly. She was grateful that her secret was protected, but she really just wanted Lewis.

The three of them headed on their way. Bella and Will walked Cleo home first, then made their way to Bella's. They didn't have to dodge anyone this time, everyone seemed to be either at home watching the news or at the marine park reporting it.

Will wrapped his arm around Bella's waist as they walked together. "How are you doing?" He asked concernedly.

"Been better." Bella's voice was monotone.

They walked along in silence for several seconds before Will spoke up.

"This will all pass." He said quietly.

Bella nodded.

They reached Bella's front steps a few minutes later and let themselves in the front door.

"Want a little company?" Will offered.

"Thanks, but no." Bella's voice sounded empty somehow. "But thanks for walking me."

"Of course." Will looked deep into Bella's eyes as he spoke.

Bella felt something building up inside her as she looked into Will's bottomless blue eyes. She impulsively pushed him against the closed door and pressed her lips onto his.

Will was completely taken by surprise by Bella's sudden passion. It felt desperate, panicked. Still, he held her tightly and returned the kiss.

For just a moment, the two of them managed to forget about Rikki and the mess she was in. They focused in on each other, just enjoying the feeling of being close with one another.

Eventually Bella released Will from her grip. Both of them were breathing heavily and had flushed faces.

"Sorry." Bella whispered. "I just needed to do that."

"Anytime." Will's eyes were still closed. He managed to pull them open. "Enjoy your bath."

"Hey Will?" Bella held him closely to her. "Let's not let anything happen to us. No matter what happens with Rikki. Ok?"

"Hey." Will put one finger under Bella's chin and lifted it so that she looked right at him. "_Nothing_ is coming between us. Got it?"

"Got it." Bella smiled for the first time in a long time.

She opened the door for Will to step outside and closed it tightly behind him before turning the lock. She walked upstairs and drew a warm bath as she relieved the last ten minutes in her head. She felt better, even if it was just a little bit.

"Through here, please." Laurie ushered three reporters from the largest television networks in the country into a small room. Rikki and Lewis sat waiting behind a table inside.

The remaining demonstrations had gone just as smoothly as the first. They were now ready to begin the long process of working their way through the interview requests. Laurie sat down behind the table and gestured for the reporters to begin.

Zane stood in the hallway, watching through a small window in the door. He had several interviews scheduled, but not nearly as many as the other three. Everyone wanted to talk to Rikki and to her 'boyfriend,' but it seemed he was somewhat old news. Most of his interviews were with gossip magazines. Zane knew he should be feeling relieved. The attention was fading, soon his life would be back to normal. Still, as he watched Lewis sitting next to Rikki he couldn't help feeling the smallest pang of jealousy. Zane walked down the hall to his own interview room. There were several reporters more than willing to interview him without Rikki. He walked into a room of expectant faces and began answering questions.

"Ok, let me start this off by answering the big questions." Rikki addressed the three reporters. "I am the only mermaid, I do not know how it happened, and the only power I have is to heat water and cause lightning." Rikki was lying on two of those facts, but she wasn't about to change her story. "So please feel free to ask anything else." She finished.

Rikki gave long, in-depth answers. The reporters asked her about her feelings about being a mermaid. How much had it changed her life? Did she ever wish she could be a normal girl?"

The last question took her by surprise. "Rikki," A well known newsman asked. "Don't you ever get lonely? Don't you ever wish there were others like you to share in the experience?"

"I-" Rikki paused. She tried to imagine going through the changes without having Cleo and Bella beside her. Or even without having Lewis and Will. Even Zane. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"I do have close friends." She spoke. "But I can't deny that I do feel lonely. My friends are the most important thing in the world to me. I wish I were close enough to them to have shared this part of myself with them. In the end it just got to be too much. That's why I went public." She finished.

"And you haven't been totally alone." A female reporter added on with a sly smile. "You've got Lewis."

"Yes!" The youngest reporter spoke up eagerly. "Tell us about you and Lewis."

Lewis and Rikki locked eyes, slightly uneasily. They had rehearsed their story, but this was the first time they'd had to say it. They were keeping it simple. Lewis had a crush on Rikki and asked her out, Rikki liked him as well, Lewis took her to dinner one night and afterwards Rikki took him out into the water and showed him. They had several details to make the story more believable. Lewis began.

"I'd had a crush on Rikki for a long time." He said slowly, hating the words. "I broke up with my last girlfriend because I was too in love with Rikki."

"And how did you find out?" All three reporters waited anxiously for his answer.

"I... uh... she told me." Lewis's braid was racing. He couldn't remember any of the details he and Rikki had discussed.

"She told you?" The younger reporter questioned. "How?"

"We were on the dock." Rikki spoke up quickly. "It was right after we started dating. A mate of ours thought it would be funny to turn his boat engine on us and splash us with water. Lewis saw me change as I dove into the water and followed me to a secluded piece of shore. I told him everything."

Lewis swallowed. He knew that story. Rikki had just told the reporters a reworked version of when Zane had found out. Well, the second time he'd found out. That was fine, he decided. It would make things easier to remember.

Zane felt like he'd been talking forever. He'd answered question after question about his relationship with Rikki, why they had broken up, did she use her powers on him, was he over her, who did he date now... on and on. He'd given at least five different interviews to groups of reporters.

"Thanks for your interest, everyone." He said finally. "I think I've covered just about everything. Now if you'll excuse me."

Zane excused himself from his table as the group of reporters chattered excitedly. He knew that he should probably stick around to see how the other interviews had gone, but he was burnt out. He took one last look through the window at Laurie, Rikki, and Lewis. Lewis and Rikki sat hand in hand, happily speaking to the reporters. Zane walked on, pushing his way through the crowds until he could make his way home.


	12. Notes

Rikki spoke until late that evening. She answered several of the same questions over and over. In fact, she was surprised at the lack of originality in the reporters questions. Laurie was having a blast answering questions. He had done a great deal of research on Cleo and he was finally getting to tell people about it, even if he was pretending that Cleo's data was really Rikki's.

Lewis was miserable. He was more than ready to get out of there. His phone vibrated on the table. It was a text message from Cleo.

"Just got here, no problems. Can't wait to see you." Lewis read to himself. He brightened a bit. Cleo had just arrived at his house. She was going to wait for him there. There weren't any reporters waiting at his house to see her. They were sure to ask questions if they saw him walking into her house.

Lewis checked his watch. "Hey, uh, Laurie." He got his attention, interrupting one of Laurie's drawn out descriptions of Rikki's tail. "Don't you think it's about time to call it a night?"

"I guess." Laurie said reluctantly. He addressed the large group of reporters, their last of the night. "Thank you all for coming, please feel free to contact me with any further questions."

The three stood and made their way to the door through a corded off passage. Rikki waved and grinned at everyone as she walked. She hadn't had a bad evening at all. She'd never been _adored_ before, and she certainly didn't hate it.

The three climbed into Laurie's car in the midst of flashing cameras and shouting people. Lewis held open the back door for Rikki and waited for her to climb inside before following her. Laurie hopped into the driver's seat and revved the engine.

"That was so much fun, don't you think?" Rikki bubbled.

"It was pretty cool, I'll admit." Laurie tried to sound nonchalant but his excitement seeped through.

"Hey..." Rikki noticed for the first time that Zane wasn't with them. "Where did Zane get off to?"

"He headed for home about an hour ago." Lewis spoke up. "He did all of his interviews and then he split."

"Oh." Rikki felt disappointed for only a second before her mind flickered to the next subject. "I can't believe we're going to be on tv!"

Rikki and Laurie had booked an exclusive television appearance with the biggest talk show in Australia. They were to be at the station tomorrow morning at 6am to get ready.

"Thanks for the ride, Laurie." Lewis said as the car pulled up in front of his home. "Keep in touch with me tomorrow."

"You got it, Lewis." Laurie said. "See you later!"

Lewis climbed out of the car. Laurie and Rikki began jabbering excitedly about their television interviews before Lewis could even close the door behind him. Lewis watched the car drive down the road before practically running into the house.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." Cleo's arms practically yanked Lewis inside. She held him in an iron grip.

Lewis held Cleo back, holding her as close to him as he could. "I love you." He said hoarsely. "Let me look at you."

Lewis broke their embrace just enough to look deeply into Cleo's face.

"This is all so crazy." Cleo said quietly. "How did everything change so fast?"

"You're safe, that's all that matters." Lewis resumed his tight embrace on his girlfriend. "I'm done being interviewed. It's all going to be fine."

Lewis and Cleo slept more soundly that night than they had since Rikki had revealed her secret. They fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms and neither of them moved until morning.

Rikki woke up bright and early. She'd barely slept a wink. All she could think about was being on television. She loved the way people looked at her. It was as if they were looking at something special. Rikki picked up her phone and quickly dialed Lewis's number. She waited while it rang, but he didn't pick up. Frowning, she dialed in Cleo's number and waited. She needed to know what time Lewis was arriving at the television studio so that she could review their story one last time.

"Pick up, Cleo." Rikki muttered as the call went through to voicemail. She closed the phone without leaving a message and checked her watch. She only had about 30 minutes before her... (she grinned) limo came to pick her up.

Rikki redialed Lewis's number one more time. This time she heard a muffled noise at the other end. Eventually Lewis's voice came through.

"Hello?" He sounded sleepy and slightly irritated.

"Lewis, hey." Rikki didn't really notice his tone. "What time are you getting to the tv station tonight?"

"I'm not." Lewis said bluntly.

"You're what?" Rikki was sure she had heard Lewis wrongly.

"I'm not coming to the television studio." Lewis said more firmly.

"Well, I mean- Why?" Rikki spluttered.

"Because I'm spending the day with Cleo." Lewis said definitively.

"I guess I just assumed you'd be there today." Rikki said, confused. "You're always there."

"Well today I'm needed elsewhere." Lewis said in a somewhat gentle tone.

"Oh." Rikki processed his words as quickly as she could. She suddenly felt very much alone. "Ok then." Rikki clicked her phone shut and shoved it into her pocket. She didn't need Lewis to babysit her, she told herself. Rikki tried hard to convince herself that that was true, but all of a sudden she felt incredibly lost without Lewis beside her.

Lewis set his phone on the nightstand and rolled back over to wrap his arm around Cleo, who was still sound asleep. She nestled into him as she breathed deeply. Lewis couldn't imagine anywhere else he'd rather be. He knew he had made the right choice.

Rikki climbed out of the shiny black limousine that had carried her to the tv station. She was quickly ushered inside by a muscular man wearing a black shirt. Rikki checked her watch. Laurie should be there in about fifteen minutes.

"Rikki!" A chipper blonde with a huge smile suddenly appeared in the hall. "I am so glad to meet you, my name is Gail. Follow me!"

Rikki followed Gail, who chattered during their whole walk.

"I mean, I was so excited when I heard you were coming here today." She rattled. "As soon as I heard the news, you know, about mermaids being real, I was so thrilled. And then I actually get to meet you! This is, like, totally great."

Rikki just nodded as she followed the blonde into a brightly lit room filled with mirrors.

"Here we are, Rikki." Gale stood aside to let Rikki walk in the makeup room. "Jack will be right in to do your hair and makeup. Just make yourself at home. Do you need anything? Pepsi? A bagel?" Gale's face suddenly went serious. "Should I have them bring you some seaweed?" She waited anxiously for a response.

"I'm fine." Rikki said gently. "But thank you."

"You're welcome!" Gail cooed. "Shout if you need anything! Anything at all!" With that, she pulled the door shut.

Rikki found herself alone in the room. She took a seat in front of a brightly lit mirror and swiveled back and forth in the cushioned chair.

The door swung open and a young man popped his head into the room. "Hey, do you know where Jack is?" Suddenly he froze. "You- you're Rikki Chadwick."

Rikki found herself unable to move. "And you're... I mean," She stammered. "You're Dillon Chase."

Rikki couldn't believe it. She was looking at the most famous (and cutest) movie star in Australia. He'd gotten his big break in a romantic comedy that came out two years ago and ever since he had been absolute A list hot property. Rikki had secretly always had a crush on him. She never would have mentioned it to her friends because he was a total chick flick actor, and Rikki was a self-professed anti romantic. But she had always had a soft spot for Dillon Chase. And he was standing there, in this room, staring at _her._

"Yeah, yeah I am." He appeared to be just as awestruck as Rikki. He stepped into the room. He gave Rikki a smile that made her melt inside. "So..." He sat down in the chair next to her. "You're... a mermaid..."

"Uh huh..." Rikki said, completely starstruck. She shook herself. "I mean, yes. I am." She smiled back at Dillon.

"Amazing." Dillon said slowly, his eyes never leaving Rikki's.

"So, um..." Rikki blushed. "What are you doing here? At the station."

"Promoting my next film, 'Love of Mine'." Dillon said sheepishly. "It's a totally corny flick."

"Yeah..." Rikki said dreamily. "I mean, I'm sure it's good." She tried to sound cool and collected.

"Well, if you'd been my leading lady I might not have had such a hard time acting in it." Dillon said smoothly.

Rikki couldn't make her mouth form words. Luckily for her, she didn't have to.

"Rikki!" The door swung open once more. Laurie bustled into the room, carrying a briefcase and looking incredibly sharp in a charcoal gray suit. "I'm glad I found you, we have a lot of stuff to go over before..." Laurie realized that he and Rikki were not alone. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Call me Dillon." The movie star stood up and began to leave before turning back to Rikki. "And you," He pulled a card out of his pocket. ""You should just call me." He handed the card to Rikki and gave her a warm smile before walking out the door.

Laurie watched him go. "Who was that?" He looked to Rikki.

Rikki felt like she was on a cloud. "Laurie, do you not pay any attention to current events?"

"Not if I can help it." Laurie opened the briefcase and pulled out a sheaf of papers. "Look these over, we need to make sure our answers match up."

"I know, I know." Rikki was still looking at the door, hoping Dillon might walk back through it. She took a moment to look at the card she held in her hand. On it was a handwritten phone number. Rikki felt like her heart was about to explode.

Laurie rattled on, going over the most minute of details. Rikki half listened to what he was saying. Most of what Laurie reviewed was more for his benefit than hers. Rikki already knew everything there was to know about being a mermaid.

The door to the makeup room opened abruptly. Rikki sat up eagerly, hoping to see the blonde heartthrob walk in once more. Instead, a short bald man walked into the room.

"Rikki, I'm Jack." He said brightly. "Let's get you dolled up for the television!"

Rikki stepped out of the makeup room an hour later looking completely different. Still beautiful, just different. Jack had styled her hair in delicate curls that hung gently around her face. It felt weird to have so much makeup caked on her face, she rarely wore any. Still, she couldn't deny that the eye makeup suited her. Jack had feathered out her eyelashes and coated them with black mascara . Some brown eyeshadow and coral blush made the blue of her eyes really pop. A sea green dress had completed the look. It shimmered when she moved side to side.

Rikki looked herself up and down in the floor length mirror. She loved the new look. She felt gorgeous.

Rikki stood backstage, waiting to be signaled to take a seat on the television couch.

"Um, Rikki?" A shy intern tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "This was left for you."

The intern handed Rikki a folded piece of paper and scurried away. Rikki opened it curiously. It was a handwritten note.

"Rikki," She read to herself. "It was amazing to meet you today. In fact, I can't seem to get you out of my mind. If you're up for it, I would love to take you out to dinner sometime. It would be awesome to get to know you better. If you think you could be interested in me, of course. The number I gave you earlier is to my personal phone, you can call me anytime.. I really hope I hear from you. -Dillon"

Rikki read the note three times through before the words sunk into her brain. Dillon Chase took the time to write this to her. And he wanted to take her out to dinner.

Laurie stepped behind Rikki and read the note over her shoulder. "You can't go to dinner with him." He popped Rikki's bubble.

"Why not?" Rikki asked indignantly.

"Because you already have a boyfriend." Laurie said meaningfully. "And his name is Lewis."

"Well, Lewis and I might just have to break up." Rikki answered without a pause.

The intern gave Laurie and Rikki the signal to sit on the couch. "Ninety second warning!" She called.

With a newly found confidence Rikki walked out onto the stage and sat down with Laurie. "Let's do this." She said with a grin.


	13. Light

The interview went perfectly smooth. The news anchors regarded Rikki with awe, almost as if they were nervous about speaking to her. Rikki answered the same generic questions with a calm, smooth demeanor. She sat demurely, one leg crossed over another.

"Well Rikki, I'll have to ask you to go fishing with me some time." The older male anchor said cheesily as he flashed a grin at the camera.

Rikki gritted her teeth slightly as she laughed at the bad joke. The interview had been a lot of fun, but she was too excited about her meeting with Dillon to concentrate on the camera.

Rikki shifted to one side of the couch as Laurie was introduced. Laurie walked out onto the floor waving and smiling to the camera.

Laurie began talking excitedly about this and that about mermaids. He'd brought loads of papers filled with data out with him and he insisted on explaining each figure in detail. Rikki allowed her mind to drift away, glad that some of the focus was lifted off of her.

Before she knew it, the anchors were thanking Rikki and Laurie for taking time to be on the program and the set director was signalling that they were off the air.

Rikki stood and smoothed her dress as Laurie continued rambling about the ph balance of salt water. She walked casually over to a table full of breakfast foods and picked up a bagel, keeping an eye out for Dillon just in case he happened to be around. She didn't see him, which disappointed her.

"Rikki!" Laurie grabbed her by the elbow excitedly. "We are having lunch with the director of the station, let's go!"

Laurie shoved his research into his new briefcase before leading Rikki out the back door and into a waiting limousine.

Zane clicked his television off and dropped the remote down on the couch.

"Hey!" Ally fussed. "I was watching that." She tried to reach for the clicker and switched the tv back on.

Zane stood and walked to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. "The interview is over." He said grimly. "It's not like there's anything else to watch."

"Zane, you don't get it." Ally said impatiently. "Mermaids are _real._ Do you know what that means? It's like all of our childhood dreams might actually be real!"

Zane rolled his eyes. He was done hearing about Rikki the mermaid.

Ally continued rambling on. "And you _dated_ her, Zane. I mean, wow." She looked at Zane with admiring eyes.

"Yeah I did." Zane wished he had a beer in his hand instead of water.

"What was it like?" Ally pushed. "Did she take you swimming?"

"Just stop." Zane held one hand out. "I don't want to talk about Rikki."

"Oh." Ally pouted. "I guess the breakup is still a sore point, huh? And she's with Lewis now, you guys used to be friends." She stood, walked over to Zane, and began to rub his shoulders. "I'm sorry Zaney." She said in the high pitched voice Zane had just started to find annoying. "It's just so cool that you've dated a celebrity like Rikki." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm just so lucky to be with you."

Zane looked at Ally and forced a calm look to his face. "And I'm lucky to be with you." He smiled down at her gently. "I have some errands to run, I'll give you a call later?"

"Sure, sweetie." Ally bubbled absently.

Zane showed Ally out and checked to make sure he was alone before dialing a number into his phone.

"Lewis." Zane spoke quietly.

"Hey." Lewis said just as quietly. "Everything ok?"

"I just saw the news interview." Zane paced. "Rikki was there with Laurie. Where were you?"

Lewis took a deep breath. He was more than a little tired of being made to feel bad for choosing Cleo over Rikki. "Zane, I was with Cleo. I haven't gotten to see her at all lately. And I'm not sorry for it, so if you want an apology-"

"Whoa, Lewis calm down." Zane said gently. "I was just wondering where you were, is all."

"Oh." Lewis deflated. "Well, I figured they could handle things. Laurie had all of my research, they really don't need me." He scoffed. "The people most interested in interviewing me want me to sit down with the tabloids. No thanks." Lewis flipped on the tv as he spoke.

"I've gotten the same calls." Zane nodded. "So do you know when you'll see Rikki again?"

"Uh, no actually." Lewis realized. "Why?"

Zane sank into a kitchen chair. "I just wanted to check in on her. You know, see if she's still alright, see if she needs anything."

"You know, I think she's just fine." Lewis stared at the television screen. "Turn the tv to channel 6."

"What?" Zane quickly changed the channel.

"That's right, fans!" A twenty-something gossip show host was chatting. "Rumor has it that the mermaid Rikki Chadwick has attracted the attention of heartthrob Dillon Chase!" A picture of Rikki appeared on the screen next to a picture of Dillon. "Our sources tell us that the two met just this morning on the set of the Morning News Show. They were seen talking together and later a note was left for the mermaid, reportedly from Dillon." The screen switched back to the host. "So what do you think, kids? Is it a match made in heaven? Or just a silly out of hand rumor?"

Zane turned the tv off as the host laughed. "That didn't take long." His heart sank as he spoke.

"No, it took a surprisingly short amount of time." Lewis agreed. "They only went off the air twenty minutes ago and that story is already out? It's probably a load of crap."

"Yeah." Zane tried to agree.

Bella and Will had been watching the interview together in the comfort of the warm boat shed. They felt like they were hiding out from the rest of the world together. Their phones had stopped ringing, for the most part. Occasionally someone would call looking for an interview with Rikki's friends, but the majority of the world seemed to have forgotten about them. Bella and Will didn't want to take a chance on having anyone toss water on Bella just because she was Rikki's friend, so they had just stayed put. They had food, water, and each other, and that was enough.

"Well that interview was informative." Will said to Bella sarcastically.

"I know I learned an awful lot." Bella's tone matched her boyfriend's.

Will reached for Bella and playfully pulled her over to sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and rested his head on her chest. "You know," He said. "Call me crazy, but it really isn't that bad being stuck in here."

Bella pulled her face back to give Will a funny look. "It isn't?"

"No." Will said matter-of-factly. "I'm here, where I live, with the girl I love."

Will kissed Bella on the lips hard. The kiss ended after several seconds.

Bella nodded as she breathed Will in. "You may be right." She said with a smile.

Will's phone rang shrilly, making the two of them jump. Will groaned and ignored it for several seconds before finally reaching for it. He quickly flipped it open.

"Sorry Lewis." Will said quickly. "I figured it was another reporter calling."

"Nah, just me." Lewis sounded relaxed. "I'm just checking in on you two. Anything new?"

"I'm happy to say no." Will said with a grin. "No one's even knocked on the door today."

"Good deal." Lewis nodded. "The spotlight is still pretty hot on Rikki, but it seems to be letting up on the rest of us."

"Finally." Will managed a laugh. "How is Rikki?"

"I would guess she's just fine, I haven't talked to her much." Lewis filled Will in on the gossip show that was reporting that Rikki had caught Dillon Chase's attention.

"Actually, I do need to get ahold of her." Lewis realized. "Maybe we can finally end this fake relationship thing."

"Sounds good, man." Will was glad to hear that Lewis might actually be getting out of the mermaid drama. "Be careful. Keep us updated."

"As always." Lewis said before hanging up the phone. He picked it right back up and dialed in Rikki's number. He wanted to hear her thoughts on the two of them "breaking up."

"Lewis!" Rikki sounded pleased. "I am _so_ glad that you called, I was just thinking about your handsome face."

Lewis frowned. Rikki sounded way too flirtatious. "Rikki...?" Lewis said slowly. "Are you with people? Is that why you're talking this way?"

"You're exactly right, sweetie." Rikki spoke without missing a beat.

"Ok." Lewis understood. "Listen, can we meet up later?"

"I miss you too." Rikki giggled into the phone. "Why don't we meet at your place in an hour?"

Lewis glanced down at his watch. "That sounds good, I'll see you then."

"Bye, sweetie." Rikki sang into the phone.

Rikki almost gagged as she tucked her phone in her purse. She _never_ did the whole mushy girlfriend thing, but she was in the middle of an interview with Teen Mag Australia and she really wanted to paint the picture of a perfect relationship.

The auditorium was filled with girls ages 16-30 and they were hanging on Rikki's every word. They were grilling her for fashion advice, hairstyle tips, boy advice, all kinds of girlie stuff. Rikki had never, _ever_ had girls ask her for advice before. She actually had a lot of fun answering the questions and totally lost track of time.

"I'm so sorry girls but I need to get going." Rikki said regretfully. "I have a date with Lewis." Rikki winked at the room before hurrying outside to her personal limousine. She was beginning to get used to the constant camera flashes everywhere she went and really, it wasn't all that bad. She gave the chauffeur Lewis's address and relaxed in the backseat.

"Hey!" Laurie's face popped out from the front passenger seat, scaring Rikki to death.

"What the hell, Laurie?" Rikki gasped as she tried to make her heartbeat settle down to a normal rhythm.

"Sorry, I've been up here chatting to Greg while we waited for you." Laurie nodded towards the driver before climbing awkwardly into the back of the car with Rikki. He rolled up the privacy screen so that they could speak openly.

"So, how are things?" He asked eagerly.

"Things are... fine." Rikki realized. And she meant it, too. Things were crazy, sure, but they certainly weren't out of control.

"Fantastic." Laurie said distractedly. "Listen, I'm giving a seminar this evening at the marine park. It's mostly just scientific mumbo jumbo, you can either join or not. Totally up to you."

"I'm meeting Lewis, I'm not sure how long it'll take." Rikki wasn't altogether disappointed to be missing out on Laurie's seminar.

"No problem, I can handle it." Laurie said with a grin. "This is me, I'll call you tonight!"'

The limo pulled over in front of the marine park and waited for Laurie to climb out. Laurie hadn't taken two steps away from the car when his fancy briefcase burst open.

Papers fell to the ground. Luckily, it wasn't windy out. Laurie knelt down quickly to scoop up the material.

"You missed one." A voice came from behind him

Laurie recognized the young man as an aspiring freelance photographer from the area. "Thanks." He said appreciatively as he took the sheet of paper the guy held out to him.

"No problem. I'm Cole." The two exchanged handshakes.

Laurie gathered up his papers and carefully placed them back in the briefcase as he and Cole made conversation. Laurie liked him. Cole was warm, friendly, and all too eager to listen to Laurie talk mermaids.

"There are two more over here, I'll get them." Cole jogged several feet away to retrieve the last of the spilled papers.

As he knelt down to pick them up he read the title of the page. "Mermaid Results Day 1." He read to himself. The form was dated only few days ago. There were several grids with numbers recorded on it. One chart was labelled 'control.' The other was labelled. 'C.S.'

"C.S. Who is C.S.?" Cole skimmed the data. The categories were familiar. Speed, length of time under water, power strength... He had attended all of the seminars, he knew this was supposed to be Rikki's recorded information. So why was this all recorded under the initials C.S.? Quickly Cole snapped a picture of both sheets of paper with his digital camera before walking back over to Laurie. He wanted to do a little research himself.


	14. Discovered

Hey Everyone! So sorry for the slow updates, I've been crazy busy with work. I promise to do better in the future! :) Thanks so much for all of the reviews, they mean the world to me :) I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'd love to give a shout out to my friend Jack Cross. You should all read and review his story, 'H2O: The Battle of Mako.' Hope you are all doing well, yay for readers like you! :)

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><p>Rikki walked right into Lewis's house without bothering to knock. She had been followed to his house by what seemed like a hundred cameras. She pushed the door shut behind her, relieved to have a moment of privacy.<p>

"Rikki?" Lewis called from the other room. "Is that you?"

"It is!" Rikki found Lewis in the living room on the couch with Cleo.

Cleo and Lewis stood as Rikki walked in the room.

"I _missed_ you." Rikki pulled Cleo into a tight hug. "And you." She added as she switched her hug to Lewis. She pulled back and gave her two friends an excited look. "I have soooo much to tell you."

The three sat on the couch and Cleo and Lewis listened as Rikki babbled on and on about her day.

"And then I got a phone call from the head of the Marine Biology Institute she said impressively. He wants to meet with me one on one. And," She pulled the small card out of her pocket, "There's _this."_

"Wow... Dillon Chase..." Cleo said reverently as she held the card carefully. "Rikki, this is so cool. Are you going to call him?"

"I don't know." Rikki said with a giggle. "I'm nervous to."

"Nervous?" Cleo raised her eyebrows. "The hottest guy in Australia left you his number and you're _nervous?_"

"Ahem." Lewis cleared his throat.

"Sorry Lewis," Cleo said guiltily. "The second hottest guy in Australia."

"No, it's not that." Lewis kissed Cleo's hand. "But thanks." He turned to face Rikki. "We need to break up." He said bluntly.

That took Rikki by surprise. "Why?" She asked instinctively.

"Because." Lewis was surprised Rikki hadn't agreed with him straight away. "You're getting ready to get involved with this Dillon guy, you really don't need me anymore. I mean, I only came up with the story that we were dating to cover my tracks. I'm covered now, we can stop pretending."

"Oh." Rikki knew that Lewis was completely right, but somehow she was reluctant to agree with him. She liked having him with her, it made her feel safe. She swallowed before speaking. "Ok, let's give it a few more days first though."

"Why?" Lewis couldn't imagine why Rikki would prolong something like a fake breakup.

"Because..." Rikki stalled. "I have to go to the Biologist's Luncheon in a couple days. Be my date? And we can break up after that?" Truthfully, Rikki hadn't even planned on going to that lunch, but she just wasn't ready to let go of Lewis just yet.

"Ah, I guess." Lewis said reluctantly. "You sure you don't want to be done any sooner?"

"You- you don't want to help me anymore?" Rikki said hesitantly.

"Rikki, you dragged me into this." Lewis put his hands in his pockets. "I mean, you're my friend and I care about you, but this is your thing. Not mine. I'm ready for my life to get back to normal."

"I see." Rikki said, trying to hide her feelings. The truth was that she had handled all of this so confidently because she knew she had Lewis to cover her whenever things got out of hand. "That's fine, Lewis. We'll, uh, break up after the luncheon on Thursday."

"Great." Lewis's face relaxed into a warm smile as he turned to Cleo. "And after than we won't have to hide out anymore."

Cleo smiled up at her boyfriend before planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

"How are Bella and Will?" Rikki asked.

"They're ok, actually." Cleo spoke. "I mean, they're a bit scared and freaked out, but they're keeping a low profile together. And I don't think they hate it." She finished with a grin.

"Good." Rikki said with a grin. "I think things are going to be alright. I mean, things are a little crazy-"

"And you're kind of a celebrity now." Cleo said quietly.

"Yeah." Rikki nodded. "But I'm still me, we can still be friends."

"Of course we can." Cleo's tone didn't betray her, but her eyes did. For the first time, Rikki could see a bit of sadness in them.

"Hey," Rikki pulled Cleo in for a tight hug. "Let's hang out tomorrow. I can meet you at Mako island?"

"I don't think so, Rikki." Cleo said quietly. "Someone might follow us. I know I wanted to go public, but on my terms. Slowly. I don't want everyone to know about me like they know about you."

Rikki took a step back. For the first time since all of this had started she was beginning to realize how much she had changed her friends' lives. "Things will be normal again." She said with a smile. "Just give it a bit of time."

The two shared a brief moment of silence before Cleo's face spread into a smile. "_So,_ when are you going to call Dillon Chase?"

"Right now." Rikki said bravely as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She took a deep breath and grinned at Cleo in anticipation. "Seize the day, right?"

"Like you don't already." Lewis said with a forced grin.

Rikki glanced at Lewis out of the corner of her eye as she dialed the number on the card. "He probably wont even answer." She said under her breath as she held the phone to her ear. Her eyes widened all of a sudden. "Dillon! I didn't expect you to answer."

"Then why did you call?" Dillon laughed slightly. The voice was just as deep and wonderful as Rikki remembered.

"Well, um, I mean, you're the one who gave me your card." Rikki said slightly defensively.

"I know. And I'm so glad you're using it." Dillon smiled. "Listen, Rikki, do you think maybe I could take you out to dinner sometime? It's ok if you don't want to, I just thought that maybe-"

"I'd love to." Rikki said quickly.

"Great." Relief was evident in Dillon's voice. "And don't worry, I'll be a perfect gentleman."

"That's great- what?" Rikki frowned."

"I know you have a boyfriend." Dillon said. "I just want to get to know you, I won't do anything to make you uncomfortable."

"Oh." Rikki said, disappointed. "Thanks, that's really good of you."

"You deserve the best." Dillon said warmly. "How about we set something up for... I don't know, Friday?"

"Or tomorrow." Rikki blurted out.

"Or tomorrow." Dillon echoed. "Can I call you around noon to set something up?"

"That sounds perfect." Rikki could hardly keep herself from giggling.

"Wonderful. I'll call you tomorrow. Bye, Rikki." Dillon signed off.

"Bye." Rikki practically whispered before throwing the phone down on the couch. She turned to Cleo, a huge smile across her face. "I have a date with Dillon Chase."

The two girls bounced around excitedly for several seconds before calming down. Lewis waited patiently before speaking up.

"So you have a date." He walked over to the giggling girls. "Can we please break up now?"

Rikki stopped laughing long enough to look at Lewis. "Well, it isn't a real date." She said hastily. "Let's wait until after the luncheon. Ok?"

"Ok." Lewis sighed.

"Thanks, Lewis." Rikki said truthfully. She put one hand on Lewis's arms and squeezed him, hoping he knew how much she appreciated him. Her phone rang abruptly, shaking her out of the moment.

"Hey Laurie." Rikki held the phone to her ear. "Sorry, I'll be right there." She clicked the phone shut and looked up at Lewis and Cleo apologetically. "Sorry guys, I've got to get going. I'm supposed to meet Laurie at the marine park."

"I'll see you later. Be careful." Cleo hugged her friend tightly.

"Call me later to update me." Lewis didn't sound very enthusiastic, but Rikki didn't notice.

"You've both got it." Rikki said with a grin. "I'll call!" Rikki breezed out the door and into the waiting limo that had just pulled up.

Cleo and Lewis exchanged looks before walking to each other. Lewis wrapped his arms around Cleo and held her close to him. "So do you believe her? That things will be back to normal soon?"

"No." Cleo said thoughtfully. "But I think she believes herself."

Lewis nodded. "I think you're right."

The couple held onto each other for a long time. They shared kisses, they talked quietly, and (most importantly) they told one another just how glad they were to be together. It was perfect therapy for a tense situation.

For hours, Cole Grant had been shut up in a darkroom developing his photos. After what seemed like forever to him he stepped out into the light and spread the pictures out on the desk in front of him.

"And what do we have here?" He spoke to himself.

A few minutes later, Cole was sure of two things. One, that the data on these pages was a record of mermaid research. And two, that that mermaid was _not_ Rikki Chadwick.

"Who are you?" Cole asked the picture in front of him.

The page was more than easy to read. He was glad he'd taken the chance to photograph it. He looked at both of the photos in front of him. he's blown them up so that they were crystal clear.

There were all kinds of categories, each labelled C.S. The categories were specific. Shape of tail, length of time it took to transform, speed under water, power measurement... and there it got interesting. The power listed on the graph was labelled 'aquamorphing," which literally meant 'moving water.' Cole knew just as well as everyone that Rikki had the power to heat water, not control it. His eyes flickered to the other photograph.

This photo was of another sheet of Laurie's research. This one was labelled. 'Human data.' It was also labelled C.S.

"Could he have been any less subtle?" Cole muttered under his breath. Then he found himself utterly captured by the words.

"Skin..." He read aloud from the page. "Olive. Eyes... brown." Cole looked up at the picture of Rikki Chadwick he'd tacked on the wall. Her eyes were a clear blue. _Not_ brown. "Hair..." He continued. "Brown." Cole stood and paced a bit. Rikki was a blonde with blue eyes. Why were these results labelled for someone with brown hair and brown eyes with the inititals C.S.?

Cole quickly got on the computer and ran a quick search on Rikki Chadwick. It brought up all of the same results he'd already read. Narrowing his eyes, he ran another search. This time he ran a look for Rikki Chadwick's friends. This brought up several names. Only a few seconds passed before Cole found the name he was looking for.

"Cleo Sertori." He murmured to himself as he looked at a photo online. The picture was of Rikki hugging a brunette girl. Both were smiling out at the camera. The picture appeared to be a few years old.

Cole leaned in to examine the girl. She had olive colored skin, brown eyes, and brown hair. She was in several photos with Rikki. They seemed to be great friends. Then Cole found another picture. This one was of Rikki Chadwick holding hands with Zane Bennett. Next to them was this Cleo Sertori holding hands with... Cole leaned forward... Lewis Mcartney.

Now more than ever Cole was sure he'd found something big. How were all of them connected? Why were Cleo's initials used one the mermaid research graphs?

Cole was determined to find this girl. It only took a couple of internet searches to locate her. He packed his bag quickly. He wanted to meet this Cleo Sertori, and he wanted to meet her soon.


	15. Exposed

Cleo had only been home a few minutes before there was a knock on the door. She approached it cautiously. She was the only one home, and she didn't know who might have come to visit. She peered through the peephole quietly. Outside stood a young man, maybe a couple years older than her. He had dark, shaggy hair and a camera hung around his neck.

Cleo gave an exhausted sigh before reluctantly pulling the door open a couple inches. "No, I'm not doing any interviews regarding my relationship with Rikki Chadwick." She recited. It felt like she'd said those words a million times over the last week. She started to close the door but the young man spoke before she could.

"I'm not here to talk about Rikki." He said quickly. His voice was surprisingly deep.

"Ok, well, I'm not interested in being interviewed at all." Cleo rolled her eyes and shut the door. She got two steps away before the doorbell rang. She decided to ignore it and headed into the kitchen.

The doorbell rang again, accompanied by loud knocking. "Miss Sertori!" Cole called out. "I need to speak to you!"

Beyond exasperated, Cleo stalked to the front door and yanked it open. "I am NOT doing any interviews about-"

"Mermaids?" Cole cut her off.

"Yes. Now get off my property before I call the cops." Cleo said firmly. She stepped back and started to close the door.

"I know what you are." Cole said quietly, causing Cleo to freeze momentarily.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." Cleo said dismissively.

"Really?" Cole raised one eyebrow. He pulled a small toy water gun from his pocket and raised it up towards Cleo. "Are you sure about that?"

Cleo couldn't move. Even her heart seemed to have stopped beating in her chest but her mind was racing. He knew, he had to. But how? And what did she do about it? Cleo wished that Lewis was there, he would know what to do. Did she just run inside? But wasn't that the same as admitting that he was right? Cleo opted to try to bluff her way out. She put one hand on her hip and tried to look casual.

"A water gun?" She yawned. "What's that for?"

"You know." Cole's voice wavered slightly but he held his ground. He knew what he had read. She gad to be a mermaid.

"No, I'm afraid I don't." Cleo opened her eyes widely. "But I'm going to have to ask you to leave now." Cleo once again began to shut the door.

Cole didn't hesitate. He sprayed water right onto Cleo's face and chest. Cleo stood there for just a moment, dripping. Her eyes leveled with Cole's. Then, as if a starter pistol had fired, she tried to swing the door shut and took off running upstairs as fast as she could.

Cole stuck his foot into the doorjamb, keeping the door from closing. The door closed on his foot with a thud, but Cole shook off the pain and took off after Cleo. He ran up the steps after her and followed her to a room at the top of the steps. She was sprinting as fast as she could, but it wasn't fast enough. Cole saw her fall right after she ran through the doorway to a bedroom.

Cleo had run her heart out, but she couldn't run fast enough. She fell to the floor of her bedroom just before she could push the door shut. Her legs disappeared, to be replaced by the golden tail that she usually loved. Today she would have given anything to have stayed a human. She lay on the floor, breathing hard. She flipped herself over and came face to face with the photographer as he burst into the room.

Cole froze as he looked at Cleo. He'd tried hard to get pictures of Rikki, but he was such an inexperienced photographer he'd always been pushed to the back of the crowd. "Wow..." He breathed. "You're beautiful." The words left his mouth almost before he thought them.

"What do you want with me?" Cleo stammered. She had never felt more vulnerable than she did right now.

"Nothing." Cole was shocked to realize that he was being truthful. He'd shown up at Cleo's house with the intentions of exposing her. He was going to take exclusive pictures and sell them for thousands of dollars. But now, looking at the scared girl laying on the floor, he couldn't bring himself to even pick up his camera from where it hung around his neck. She looked so frightened, so upset. He found himself wanting to comfort her instead of expose her. He knelt down beside her on the floor.

Cleo tried to push herself away from him. Her eyes were scared as she looked up at him. "What are you doing- why did you- how did you-" She couldn't seem to get a full sentence out.

"I'm Cole." The photographer said simply. His voice was warm, which surprised Cleo.

"Ok, you're Cole." Cleo wasn't about to let her guard down. "What do you want, Cole?" Her tone was tough, accusing.

"I don't know." Again, Cole found himself speaking with complete honesty. He couldn't take his eyes off Cleo. She looked so stunning.

Cleo didn't wasted any time. She quickly held her arm out and pulled the water droplets off of herself. She sent them into a cup on her dresser and stood up as soon as her legs reappeared.

Cole watched in amazement as Cleo became human once again. He didn't move from his position kneeling on the floor. He just looked up at Cleo.

Cleo paced slightly. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't force Cole out now, he knew what she was. She took a long, deep breath. She needed to find out what he was going to do next.

"How did you find out?" She crossed her arms over her chest and attempted to look tough.

"Laurie." Cole answered.

"What?" Cleo spun around to face him. "_Laurie told you?_"

"No, no." Cole spoke quickly. "His briefcase fell open, a bunch of papers fell out. I, uh, took photos of a couple of the pages." He stood sheepishly. "They were recordings of the tests you two took. Mermaid tests."

"Laurie." Cleo muttered. She was relieved to hear that he hadn't shared her secret, but she could kill him for not being more careful with her data."Ok," She paced. "And what are you going to do with the info?" Cleo could barely keep her voice from shaking as she spoke.

"I had planned to expose you. To everyone." Cole said bluntly.

"And now?" Cleo's voice rose to the highest register possible.

"Now, I think I just want you to calm down." Cole said softly. "I want to get to know you."

"Get to know me?" Cleo's voice didn't lower. "What, so that you can give an extra special interview? So you can tell the reporters all of my most personal secrets?"

"No." Cole took a step closer to Cleo, holding his hands out in a gesture of peace. "I just want to get to know you."

Cleo evaluated Cole with her eyes. She didn't know what he was playing at, what angle he was trying to follow. She couldn't see any dishonesty in his face, but that certainly didn't make her come close to trusting him. "Why?" she asked warily.

"Look, you can trust me." Cole was surprised at his own words. He had a goldmine on his hands and all he could think about was how beautiful Cleo's eyes were.

"Sure I can." Cleo said bitterly. "Prove it."

"Ok." Was all Cole said. He walked out the bedroom door and down the steps. Cleo followed behind him, unsure of what to do next. Cole paused at the front door. He turned to face Cleo. "I will prove it. I'm not here to be your enemy, Cleo." He gave the mermaid one more long look before walking out the front door. The door closed tightly behind him.

Cleo collapsed onto the living room couch. She quickly grabbed her phone off the side table and dialed Lewis's number. Her hand was shaking almost uncontrollably as she held the phone to her ear. "Lewis?" She said weakly. "I need you to get over here. Right now."

Bella's phone rang, waking her from a deep sleep. She reached for it sleepily, trying not to move too much. Will was sound asleep beside her. He snored on, unaware that Bella's phone was ringing.

"Hey Lewis." Bella said quietly. Her expression changed dramatically in the next few seconds. "What? Ok. We will. Keep us updated." Bella shut the phone and sat quietly, debating on how to tell Will what she'd just heard. She reached over and lightly shook Will's arm. "Hey." She whispered.

Will groaned as he turned his face to look at Bella. "What is it?" He barely spoke.

"It's Cleo." Bella said.

That got Will's attention. He sat up, instantly awake. Bella filled him in on what Lewis had just told her.

Lewis clicked his phone shut and pulled Cleo to him. The couple held each other close for several seconds before Cleo spoke up.

"So what now?" She asked quietly. "Should we call Rikki?"

"I guess, if we have to." Lewis said reluctantly.

"She needs to know what's going on." Cleo said, a little more strongly.

"Yeah, you're right." Lewis agreed. He picked up his phone and dialed the number quickly.

Rikki's eyes were already open when the sun rose the next morning. Her conversation with Lewis had woken her up to a lot of things, the most important being the fact that Cleo being discovered was her, Rikki's, fault. If she'd never exposed herself as a mermaid Laurie would never have had her papers in a briefcase that would have fallen open.

Rikki stood, stretching out sore muscles. She paced a bit, unsure of what to do. Quickly, she switched the television on and tuned it into the nearest news station. The channel was filled with the usual stories. Most had to do with Rikki, the rest had to do with normal news. None of the stories seemed to have anything to do with Cleo.

Rikki sighed with relief, stretching her arms up over her head. Her cell phone rang shrilly from the side table. Rikki grabbed it and flipped it open. "This is Rikki." She said in the most cheerful manner she could come up with.

"Rikki, great. Sorry for calling so early, I just couldn't wait any longer." Dillon's voice sounded excited over the phone.

Rikki instinctively smoothed her hair behind her ears. "Dillon, hey." She tried to sound cool and collected.

"Hey." His voice dripped with attractiveness, even over the phone. "So, um, do you think you might be interested in going to dinner with me? Tonight?"

"Oh, Dillon, I'd love to, but..." Rikki knew where she was needed. "I actually have to spend some time with a friend tonight. Could I get a rain check?"

"Oh." Dillon's voice dropped off. "Yeah, sure. That'd be great. Sorry, I was just really hoping to see you today."

His voice sounded so disappointed. Rikki found herself wavering. "I suppose if you wanted to meet up for a quick coffee that would be alright?"

"That's would be great." Dillon brightened at the words. "I'll pick you up around... 2?"

"Yeah, that works." Rikki checked her watch. "I'll see you then."

Rikki shut her phone. She felt a mixture of emotions. She was terrified for Cleo, but at the same time she was completely excited about her sort-of date with Dillon Chase. The phone chirped in her hand. It was a text message from Lewis.

"We're all meeting at Mako at 10am." She read aloud. "Please try to find a way to be there."

Rikki replied to the text. "I will be." She was determined to be there for her friends. She just needed to figure out a way to sneak out there without being seen.

The phone chirped again. Rikki read the details carefully before confirming that she could do her part to help.

A familiar black car pulled up in front of Rikki's house at 9:30 that morning. Rikki skipped out the front door and pushed her way through the (slightly smaller) crowd of reporters and into the passenger seat of the vehicle.

"Hey Laurie." She said as she buckled her seat belt.

"Hey Rikki." Laurie's voice was weak. "I am so sorry, have you talked to Cleo? I can't believe I was that careless."

"It's ok." Rikki said calmly, hoping her words were true. "Thanks for your help."

"It's my fault, it's all my fault." Laurie muttered.

"No, it's mine." Rikki shook her head. "But we're going to figure everything out. There he is."

Laurie pulled off the road slightly and unlocked the doors. Cole pulled open the back door and hopped in the car nervously. Rikki turned around in the front seat to look at him.

"You must be Cole." She said grimly.

"Wow, you're Rikki Chadwick." Cole tried to keep himself from staring.

"Yeah, I am." Rikki spoke clearly. "And you're the scumbag who's stalking my best friend."


	16. Dates

Hey guys, sorry for the long wait in between chapters. I'm also already sorry for naming a character 'Cole.' WAY too close to Cleo. So I apologize in advance if I ever mixed the two up. As always, thank you all so much for the reviews, they really mean the world to me!

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><p>Cole stared at Rikki with wide open eyes. "I...uh, what-"<p>

"Hush." Rikki said firmly. "Just stop talking."

Cole's mouth instantly clamped shut. His eyes practically bugged out of his face as he stared at Rikki.

"Answer carefully, or else." Rikki spoke in a no-nonsense tone. She was bluffing a little bit. She didn't actually know what she would do if Cole didn't want to cooperate with her, but he seemed easily scared. She had a feeling he wasn't going to be too hard to control. Rikki glared at him for a minute before continuing. "Why are you threatening Cleo?"

"Uh, Cleo Sertori?" Cole stammered.

"Don't ask stupid questions." Rikki raised her voice slightly.

"I'm sorry." Cole said slowly. "Of course you're talking about Cleo Sertori."

"Stop stalling." Rikki was beginning to lose her patience.

"I wasn't threatening her." Cole said quickly. "I swear."

Rikki scoffed. "You stalked her. You showed up at her house. You threw water on her and exposed her secret. And yet you didn't go straight to the news with your discoveries. Why would you do all that if you didn't have a plan? Are you going to blackmail her?" Rikki looked at him expectantly.

Cole opened and closed his mouth several times before speaking. "I wasn't going to threaten her." He said meekly.

"Then what _are_ you doing?" Rikki raised one eyebrow.

"I don't know." Cole answered, a bit defensively. "But I'm not going to hurt her in any way."

Rikki laughed bitterly. "That doesn't make any sense, do you think I'm stupid? Why would you-"

"I had planned to expose her, ok?" Cole cut her off. "I read those pages, I studied them. I figured out what Cleo was and I went to her house with a camera and every intention of selling her secret to the news. But now..." He trailed off.

"What?" Rikki tried to keep the fear out of her voice. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm not going to tell anyone." Cole said nervously. "I just want to get to know her."

Rikki laughed bitterly. "What kind of game are you playing, Cole? Do you want cash? What will it take to get you to leave Cleo alone?"

Cole blinked. "I just told you. I want to get to know her. She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

Rikki appraised Cole with her eyes. He appeared to be telling the truth but she couldn't bring herself to trust him. And why should she? "You're staying with Laurie and me, Cole." She said sternly. "You aren't leaving our sight."

"But I have work, I have-"

"You aren't going anywhere." Rikki spoke. "Tell your work you're on an exclusive. You'll go back with a story and pictures. But not until I'm done with you."

By now they had reached the small dock where Laurie's boat was anchored. It was deserted, but Rikki tucked her blonde hair up into a hat before stepping out out the car. "Come on." She beckoned for Cole to follow her and Laurie.

Cole didn't see any reason not to. He walked out of the car and hurried after the mermaid and the marine biologist. They climbed aboard the small boat and Laurie quickly started the engine and directed them out to sea.

Cole sat inside the cabin across from Rikki as the boat traveled through the water. "So..." He began awkwardly. "Couldn't you, you know, swim out there?"

"I could." Rikki answered vaguely. "But it's a lot more inconspicuous just to ride in the boat."

"Ah." Cole nodded uncomfortably. "So, ah, where are we headed?"

"We're meeting my friends." Rikki answered. "At Mako Island."

The boat anchored at the shore of the familiar piece of land. Rikki dove off the side of the boat and swam quickly to the underwater entrance to the cave. Cole watcher her disappear, eyes open wide. "Wow." He breathed.

"Come on." Laurie clapped him on the shoulder. "You're walking with me."

Rikki swam through the water, surfacing in the moon pool only a few seconds later. For just a fraction of a second it felt like old times. Bella, Will, Cleo, and Lewis all sat on the sandy floor of the cavern. They had been laughing about something, but they hushed when Rikki appeared.

"Rikki!" Bella squealed as she jumped into the water. "We've missed you." She giggled as she pulled Rikki in for a tight hug in the water.

"I've missed you too." Rikki gurgled in the water as Bella's arms tightened around her neck.

"Is he coming?" Lewis stood and walked to the edge of the pool.

"He's on his way, with Laurie." Rikki finally managed to pull out of Bella's grip and started to pull herself out of the water. "You should probably head out." She looked to Bella. "He doesn't know about you. Not yet, anyway."

"Can we trust him?" Cleo asked worriedly.

"I have no idea." Rikki said honestly as she dried herself off. "I can't tell what he's up to. We just need to keep an eye on him."

Lewis took Cleo's hand tightly in his own and pulled her close. Bella looked to the rest of the group.

"Ok then, I'm going to go." She said meekly. "It's not that I don't want to support you guys, but-"

"Hush." Cleo spoke up. "Don't you dare apologize. It won't help anything if you get exposed as well. We'll call you with news as soon as we have it."

Bella nodded, unconvinced. "Will you be alright?" Her gaze fell on Will.

"Absolutely." He said confidently. "Get yourself home." He knelt down to the water's edge to kiss Bella gently on the lips before she turned to swim quickly away.

The group turned to face the entrance to the moon pool. They could hear the faint sounds of people moving through the entrance of the cave. They steeled themselves as they prepared for the meeting.

Cole stepped through the cave entrance, followed closely by Laurie. He took one step inside and froze. "Is... is this an ambush?" He said nervously.

"Come on in." Rikki took charge. "We need to talk to you."

Laurie gave Cole a slight push into the center of the cave. Cole felt more than a little self conscious as he looked around. His eyes landed on Cleo and stayed on her for several seconds before sliding down to her hand, which was still entwined in Lewis's. His brow furrowed slightly as his eyes locked with Lewis's for just a fraction of a second.

"Ahem." Lewis cleared his throat and shook his hand out of Cleo's, walking away from her quickly but nonchalantly. "We need to talk to you, Cole."

"You're Lewis Mcartney." Cole said breathlessly.

"Listen." Lewis continued without acknowledging the fact that Cole had spoken. "You found out about Cleo. We can't deny that. But we really need to keep her a secret. So..." Lewis paced a slowly as he spoke. "What is it you want?"

"Want?" Cole repeated dumbly.

"Right." Lewis nodded. "What do you want from us in exchange for your silence. Money? An exclusive with Rikki?" Lewis waited expectantly for Cole to answer. Several seconds of silence passed before Cole spoke up.

"A date." Cole whispered, his eyes locked on Cleo.

"With Rikki? Sure thing." Lewis said in a business-like tone.

"No." Cole spoke up. "With her." He nodded his head at Cleo.

"No way!" Lewis, Will, and Rikki all spoke at the same time.

Cole jumped at the response to his request. He took a few steps back and looked to the group, confused. "What? I'm not taking advantage of you guys, I'm just asking for a date." He raised an eyebrow. "Considering what I know about her, I think it's a pretty good deal."

"_Just_ a date? Nothing else?" Lewis crossed his arms over his chest.

"That's it." Cole shrugged shyly as he tried not to grin at Cleo. "I just want to get to know Miss Sertori better."

"I'm sorry, Cole, but that would be impossible." Lewis shook his head emphatically. "It's immoral, it's a conflict of business and friendship, it's a-"

"I'll do it." Cleo spoke up.

Will's, Rikki's, Lewis's, and Cole's heads all snapped to look at Cleo. "You will?" Lewis's eyebrows raised. "Are you sure that's... _ok_ with you?"

"It's just a date." Cleo said softly. "It's all he wants."

"I've got it." Rikki's eyes lit up. She hurried over and spoke under her breath so that Cole couldn't hear. "Why don't you and Cole go on a double date with Lewis and me? That way he gets his date, but we get to make sure you're safe."

"Do you think he'll go for that?" Lewis muttered.

"He doesn't have a choice." Rikki said firmly.

"No, we can't do that to him, we have to keep him happy." Cleo rationed. "I don't want my secret out. Not the way yours is, Rikki. He knows what I am. If it'll keep him happy then I'll go out with him."

"But _Cleo..."_ Lewis pulled her by the elbow a few feet further away. "Don't do this." He pleaded with her softly.

"Don't you think that's a little hypocritical?" Cleo raised her eyebrows. "I mean, you're pretending to date Rikki. Why can't I pretend to date this guy?"

"You'd just be pretending?" Lewis asked carefully.

"Of course." Cleo replied as comfortingly a possible. She turned away from Lewis and walked over to Cole. "I'd be glad to go on a date with you." She said to him.

"I'll tell you what!" Rikki stepped forward purposefully. "I have a great deal for you, Cole." Her eyes glittered like a car salesman's. "I am going out with Dillon Chase..." She paused for dramatic effect... "In just a couple hours. How about you and Cleo come with us? A double date? You'll get exclusives with a movie star _and_ a mermaid." Rikki smiled brightly, waiting for Cole's response.

"Ok." Cole said quietly, his eyes never leaving Cleo's. "That's fine."

"Really?" Rikki was surprised he had gone along with things so easily. "Uh, great then! Dillon is picking me up at two, we'll pick you guys up on the way?"

"I'll already be at Cleo's" Cole said quickly, immediately turning to face Cleo. "I'm really not trying to be creepy or anything, but I'll be on your doorstep right at two. You only live a couple minutes away from Rikki, is that alright?"

Cleo nodded blankly, at a loss for words. This boy was nothing like she'd expected him to be. He didn't seem to be too bad? Cleo shook her head slightly. She was still absolutely in love with Lewis, but if she could help convince this boy not to go public with her secret she was bound to do so. "Yeah, I just live a few streets over from Rikki."

"Ok then!" Rikki clapped her hands together. "How about Dillon and I pick up the two of you at 2:10? We'll head over as soon as Dillon gets to my place."

"And Dillon Chase won't mind spending time with an extra couple?" Cole questioned.

"Nah, I'm sure he won't care." Rikki shrugged nonchalantly.

"Why are you and Dillon Chase even going out?" Cole's eyebrows furrowed. "Aren't you dating Lewis?" He gestured to the blonde boy who stood across the cave.

"Um, of _course_ I'm dating Lewis." Rikki covered, walking quickly over to Lewis and taking his hand tightly. "Dillon is just... researching a movie role."

"Really." Cole took a step closer to Rikki. She and Lewis hadn't shown the first signs of affection since he'd gotten there. In fact, Lewis had shared several more moments with _Cleo_ than he had with Rikki. "Because..." He let his voice drift off.

"Because what?" Will stepped forward anxiously.

"Oh, nothing." Cole focused in on Will for the first time. "And... who are you?"

"I'm Chris." Will lied through his teeth. "Uh... Rikki's brother."

All eyes in the cave flicked to Will. Rikki and Lewis looked about ready to punch Will.

"Um, _Chris_?" Rikki said sweetly. "Could I talk to you for just a second?"


	17. Awkward

Will's face couldn't have looked any guiltier as he followed Rikki outside the cavern. Rikki waited until they had walked far away from the entrance before turning on him, fire in her eyes.

"My _brother?_" She hissed. "Will, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Will shrugged sullenly. "I don't know." He said defensively. "I was trying to help."

"Help?" Rikki's voice rang shrilly. "How in the world did you think you were helping?"

"I just thought I could play along." Will said meekly. "I mean, Lewis is pretending to be your boyfriend. I wanted to get in on the action. I mean," He shrugged. "I _could_ be your brother."

Rikki rubbed her temples as she paced back and forth. "Will." She spoke as if she were addressing a five year old. "All it takes is one simple blood test. Everyone will know we aren't related. These people aren't exactly stupid."

"So we're half siblings." Will raised his eyebrows, not meeting Rikki's gaze. "Siblings by marriage, something like that."

"Whose marriage?" Rikki practically shouted in exasperation. "Come on, Will. Why did you have to open your mouth? And you're calling yourself Chris? People know you, Will. This is going to unravel more quickly than it took you to tell it. We have to figure out a way to keep this Cole guy from saying anything." Rikki let herself fall onto the jungle floor and cradled her head in her hands. "Why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut?"

"I wanted to help." Will said meekly.

"And I appreciate that." Rikki's tone matched his. "But Will, this was _not_ the way to get involved."

"Yeah." Will sank onto the dirt next to Rikki. He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, letting a few moments of silence pass before he opened his mouth to speak. "Rikki..." He began.

"Yes?" Rikki didn't bother looking at him.

"Why did you do it?" Will spoke gently as he edged closer to her. He didn't want to sound too accusatory, just curious.

Several seconds of silence passed as Rikki decided whether or not to answer his question. So many people had asked her the exact same thing and she'd answered each of them differently. She'd never told the exact truth. Now, here, in this quiet forest with Will, for whatever reason she felt like getting it off her chest. Rikki took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly. "Zane." She spoke softly.

"Zane?" Will repeated.

"Yup." Rikki nodded blankly.

Will nodded silently, waiting for Rikki to continue. She did, after a pause.

"I've always had a hot temper." She said with a short and bitter laugh. "And Zane has always known just how to trigger it." Rikki stood and brushed the dirt off of her shorts. "Now," Her tone became business-like. "How exactly are we going to handle this?"

Will quickly cleared his head and stood. "This guy Cole has got to be new to town or something." He said matter of factly. "He had no idea who Cleo is, but most of the town knows you two are best friends."

"And they know we're close with Bella too." Rikki nodded.

"Right." Will swallowed hard. "But I'll bet Cole doesn't know that."

"And you're probably right." Rikki agreed. "But how does that help us?"

"We need to know if we can trust him or not." Will paced as he spoke. "Don't tell him anything different about me for right now. Let him think that we're siblings, or half siblings, or whatever. We'll keep him with us at all times."

"You think he'll go for that?" Rikki crossed her arms over her chest. "We can't keep him captive against is will."

"Yeah, I think he'll be fine with that." Will said firmly. "He's practically enthralled with Cleo, I doubt we'll have to convince him to spend time with her."

"But she can't be with me all the time, someone may find out about her." Rikki worried.

"But _I_ can stay with _her._" Will leaned towards her. "We'll say that you worry about her so you sent your _brother_ to keep an eye on her."

Rikki shook her head silently. "I'm so not sure about any of this."

"We'll be careful." Will said enthusiastically. "It'll work."

"Ok." Rikki said simply as she walked closer to Will. "But you had better get your story one hundred percent straight. I did this to myself. I don't want Cleo dragged in."

"You got it." Will's mouth turned up slightly at the corner. "Let's get back to the others."

Lewis, Laurie, and Cleo, looked up expectantly as Will and Rikki walked back into the shadowy cavern.

"Hey, uh, _Chris." _ Lewis spoke with a huge grin plastered across his face as he walked over to the pair. "Is everything _alright?_" Lewis spoke nervously, though he tried desperately to hide it.

"Just chatting over a few things with my _brother_." Rikki clapped an arm around Will's shoulder and hugged him a little too tight. "You know, just good old sibling stuff." Rikki pinched Will's cheek hard as she spoke, trying to sound chipper.

Laurie looked completely confused. "That's so weird, I had no idea you and Will were-"

"Laurie!" Rikki practically shouted, cutting him off. "How many times do I have to remind you that his name is Chris?" She laughed tightly. "I've told him a dozen times, it seems." She walked casually over to Cole. "For a marine biologist you'd think he'd be a lot better with names, am I right?" Rikki elbowed Cole lightly and laughed brightly.

"Wait, I don't get it-" Laurie was immediately cut off by Lewis, who was more than ready to follow Rikki's lead.

"Hey, Laurie, I have something totally exciting that I have just been dying to show you." Lewis practically forced Laurie out of the cavern. He began whispering in his ear as soon as they were out of hearing range, filling him in.

"So." Rikki turned to the rest of the room with a grin as she checked her watch. "It's about noon." She raised her eyebrows with a grin. "Let's get ready for that date!"

The group spent the next couple hours getting ready to go out. Will went off with Cole and Rikki's new, no-limit credit card that she had received at one of her many interviews. The pair hit it off, surprisingly, and Will found himself wishing they could just be friends without some hidden agenda. They hit a couple of stores and then ended up at the mall for a while. Will's instructions were simply to keep Cole happy and busy, and he was doing just that. Cole had been strictly instructed not to say a word about the fact that Cleo was a mermaid, under penalty of death (Lewis's words.)

Rikki, Cleo, Laurie, and Lewis quickly worked out the details of the rest of the day. Dillon was to pick up Rikki at 2, and then they would immediately swing by and pick up Cleo and Cole. Dillon had sounded surprised and a little confused when Rikki had called and asked for another couple to join them but he had seemed more than willing to allow the company to join them.

Lewis and Laurie were to stay nearby, though not inside. Rikki or Cleo was to text Lewis once every ten minutes with some sort of update. If he didn't hear from them on time he would immediately hurry into the restaurant with some excuse about being in the area.

After the meal they all figured they'd play it by ear. They were all determined to keep Cole happy, though Lewis repeated several times that Cleo was NOT to kiss him.

"I don't care if he likes you." Lewis had fussed. "You're not going to kiss him."

"Of course not, dear." Cleo had said soothingly.

Two o'clock came quickly. Despite all of the drama, Rikki found herself giddy with excitement. She was in the middle of checking her makeup for the tenth time when the doorbell rang. Rikki had labored for a long time over the perfect outfit for the day, and she had eventually chosen a simple green dress and a pair of ballerina flats. Rikki ran her hand nervously through her hair as she hurried to the front door. She took a deep breath and pulled it open, a nervous smile across her face. Her smile quickly fell as she looked at the stranger standing there.

"Hello Miss Chadwick." The man said in a humorless tone. "This way please."

Rikki looked around quickly. There were three men in suits on either side of the walk way, keeping a relatively small crowd of reporters back. Rikki followed the suit to a large black SUV and quickly climbed inside.

"Hey Rikki." Came a warm and familiar voice.

"Dillon." Rikki sighed with relief. She gestured to the flashing cameras. "It's so weird, I don't know how they found out about our lunch date, I didn't tell anyone."

"Ah." Dillon nodded. "I did."

"You what?" Rikki raised her eyebrows at him.

"Well," Dillon started sheepishly, I was just so excited to spend time with you, I may have let it slip." He flashed Rikki a dazzling grin. "But don't worry, we're going to ditch them."

"How?" Rikki asked skeptically. She checked her watch. They were to pick up Cleo and Cole in 5 minutes, but she didn't want to appear at Cleo's door if they were going to be followed by reporters.

"Well, after I let out that we were meeting I gave them a fake location." Dillon said proudly. "They think we're going to the other side of the marina."

"But won't they follow us?" Rikki looked at the cars behind them that were tailing after them.

"Well, they'll follow the car." Dillon said with a wink. "Follow my lead."

Right on cue the black SUV whipped into a darkened parking garage. It moved so quickly it was several seconds before the line of cars could slow down to follow. A few seconds later the SUV exited the garage, followed by 5 cars full of reporters.

"I can't believe we got away with that." Rikki giggled.

"I've gotten pretty good at it." Dillon squeezed her hand in his tightly. "Follow me."

The pair had ducked quickly out of the car right after it had turned a corner and were crouched behind a parked car. Dillon stood and carefully looked around.

"Here we are." He led Rikki to an inconspicuous blue car parked in a whole line of boring vehicles. "I hope you don't mind, but it's easier to blend in this way."

"It's perfect." Rikki beamed as Dillon held the front door open for her.

"Ok, where to?" Dillon slid behind the wheel and waited for Rikki to give him directions to Cleo's home.

They arrived a few minutes later. True to his word, Cole was just knocking on the front door as the car rolled up. Cleo stepped outside, slightly nervously, and quickly hurried to the waiting vehicle, Cole right behind her. The pair quickly slid into the back seat and pulled the door shut.

"Glad you two could make it." Rikki said casually, flashing a grin at the pair.

"Thank you so much for inviting us, Rikki." Cleo said easily, sticking to their story.

"Wow." Cole said breathlessly. "Dillon Chase. It's an honor to meet you, I've seen all of your films."

"And you are?" Dillon shot a smile at the pair.

"I'm Cole, and this is Cleo." Cole stammered.

"So what's the plan for this evening?" Cleo let Cole slide a little closer to her on the seat.

"I have it all planned out." Dillon drove easily as he spoke. "I have a great little Italian place that hardly anyone knows about. It's super exclusive." He gave Rikki yet another knee-weakening smile. "We should be able to enjoy an undisturbed evening there."

Rikki and Cleo exchanged looks before Cleo pulled her phone from her pocket and began texting directions. She watched the street signs carefully, sending each turn to Lewis and Will so that they would know where to find them if needed.

It took nearly thirty minutes to reach the mystery restaurant, but they group was relieved to see that none of the photographers seemed to know where they were. They stepped out of the car as Dillon handed the keys to a valet. There was a deep blue carpet leading to a nondescript entrance that blended into a wall. Cleo quickly texted into her phone and then casually slipped it into her bag. Lewis and Will would be there within a few minutes, just in case.

"Whoaa." Rikki couldn't help but freeze as she walked through the door. It was, without a doubt, the most expensive restaurant she'd ever been in. The lighting was dimmed, granting each table a feeling of privacy. Delicate music was being played by a violinist off in the corner and there were candles lit everywhere. The whole place looked amazing.

"Right this way." A thin lady gestured to the group to follow her. If she or anyone else in the place recognized Rikki or Dillon they didn't show it. They were treated just like everyone else, though everyone else was treated like celebrities too. "Here we are." The lady gestured to a simple but elegant table in the corner of the room. Four places were already set and waiting for them. "Do enjoy." She said before sweeping away to seat another couple.

Dillon and Cole were perfect gentlemen, carefully pulling out chairs so that the girls were seated before they sat themselves. Against her will, Rikki found herself relaxing. The four of them made easy conversation, mostly dominated by Dillon's stories about movie life. The rest of them didn't mind, it was too cool hearing Dillon talk about working with their favorite movie stars. Eventually the attention turned to Rikki.

"I have got to say, I think your stories will be way more interesting than any of mine." Dillon's hand briefly brushed with Rikki's as he spoke. "Tell me what it's like to swim in the ocean the way you do?"

Shyly at first, but quickly growing comfortable, Rikki told him a few stories about what she'd seen while swimming and what it was like to be a mermaid. Both Dillon and Cole listened with rapt attention.

"And Cleo, it must have been such a shock when you found out." Dillon rested his head in his hands as he spoke. "Or did you know already?"

"Me?" Cleo stuttered. "No, uh, I just found out. But like you said, she's my best friend. I love her just the same."

Cole kept a straight face as Cleo spoke, though he was sure his face must be giving him away.

"That's just great." Dillon continued. He leaned in even closer to Rikki and spoke under his breath. "Your friends are really wonderful, but would it be possible to get a few minutes with you alone?" He caught himself. "Just to ask a few more questions, of course."

"Sure." Rikki blushed as she nodded her head. At that moment a figure walked up to their table. Rikki assumed it was their waiter and didn't look away from Dillon's smile.

Dillon's eyes slid up to the newcomer. "Can I help you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I'd like to have a word with Rikki, if it's all the same to you." Zane Bennett leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. His eyes locked with Rikki's surprised ones. Ally stood a few feet back, waving excitedly to the rest of the table, an enormous grin plastered dumbly across her face.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe how lucky this is!" She gushed as she rushed forward to the table. "I mean, I've been _begging_ Zaney to take me here for ages now, and we finally get over here and bump into Dillon Chase and Rikki Chadwick!" Ally squealed with excitement.

"Rikki?" Zane gestured for her to follow him. He wore a charcoal suit with a black tie, and to Rikki's dismay she thought that he looked utterly amazing. Still, she was out with Dillon Chase.

"I'm quite comfortable here, thanks Zane." Rikki said as casually as she could.

"Rikki." Zane had an odd look on his face. He leaned over and picked up a glass of water from the table. "Come with me now or I am going to _accidentally_ drop this water onto your table." Zane shot a meaningful look at Cleo. "And I don't think you want that to happen."

The table waited silently for Rikki's answer. Dillon just looked confused at the interruption. Cole and Cleo looked more than a little panicked. Ally was still giggling to herself as she tried to sneak Dillon's napkin into her purse. Zane just stood there, coolly looking at Rikki. "Well?" He prompted.

Rikki's heart dropped at Zane's words. Her eyes shot fire up at him. "Fine." She said through clenched teeth. "But put that water down."

"Done." Zane said humorlessly as he set the glass easily back down on the table. "Follow me."


	18. Together

"What are you _doing?"_ Rikki hissed at Zane as she followed him to the far side of the restaurant.

Zane unceremoniously pulled out a chair at the furthest table and gestured for Rikki to sit in it. He took the chair right beside her and leaned in close.

"I'm trying to help you out." He said quietly.

"Help me?" Rikki said incredulously. "Zane, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm out on a date." Rikki sat back in her chair proudly.

"A date." Zane scoffed. "With who, Dillon Chase?"

"Yes." Rikki said haughtily.

Zane's eyes darkened as he leaned in closer. "So maybe he can explain why there are _loads_ of reporters waiting outside. They all know you're in here, Rikki. And they know who you're with." Zane lowered his voice. "And they have cameras and water bottles. Exactly what photo op do _you_ think they're waiting for?"

Rikki's mouth dropped open. Dillon had promised a casual meal, just to ask a few questions and get to know her. Rikki's mind raced.

"I know you don't care who knows." Zane said bitterly. "But what about Cleo? What if she gets caught in the cross fire?" Zane's face softened slightly. "You can't expose her too."

"That's what I'm trying not to do right now!" Rikki panicked slightly, beginning to lose her cool just a bit.

"What do you mean?" Zane asked, confused.

"That guy with Cleo, Cole." Rikki jerked her head back towards her table. "He found out about her. About what she is."

Zane's eyes widened. "What? Has he told anyone?"

"No, no he hasn't." Rikki said clearly. "And I don't think he will, but we need to be careful around him."

"So what's he doing out with you guys? Where's Lewis?" Zane kept one eye on the table that still sat Cleo, Cole, and Dillon.

"It's a long story." Rikki rubbed her temple lightly. "We're trying to keep him happy. Well, we're trying to get a feel on if we can trust him or not."

"Ok." Zane processed her words. "So how do we get you all out of here without attracting the attention of the paparazzi?"

"Just get Cleo and Cole out." Rikki said quickly. "Lewis and Will are right around the corner. Get them out without them being seen, I'll face the photographers."

"Are you sure about that?" Zane raised his eyebrows. "Do you really want that kind of a scandal? Mermaid dating movie star?"

"No." Rikki said frustratedly. "Of course I don't." Rikki couldn't believe she'd walked right into this kind of trap. Of course Dillon just wanted press. Why would he have just wanted to spend time with her if there wasn't anything in it for him?

"Ok." Zane said simply. "Then let's get the three of you out of here."

Rikki began to stand, but Zane's hand quickly stopped her. Her fingers wrapped around hers tightly.

"Hey." He said gently. "Everything is going to be just fine."

"Am I an idiot?" Rikki allowed herself just one moment of weakness with her ex boyfriend. She looked at Zane with pleading eyes.

"Of course not." Zane briefly squeezed her hand in his. "Now let's get you guys out of here."

Rikki made her way back to the table a few minutes later. "Sorry about that." She said brightly, plopping down next to Dillon.

"Is everything ok?" Dillon asked concernedly.

"Just peachy!" Rikki grinned through clenched teeth. "Pardon me for just a second, I want to let my boyfriend Lewis know how much fun we're having!" Rikki pulled out her phone and typed in a quick text message.

"Rikki?" Cleo said quietly.

"Don't worry Cleo, I'll say hi from you too." Rikki said vaguely before slipping her phone into her pocket.

"You know, Rikki," Dillon moved to sit closer to her. "I've really been having a wonderful time today. It's so nice to just be able to get out and relax, you know?"

"Oh, I do." Rikki said brightly. Her eyes swept the restaurant, keeping a look out.

"Hey, um, Rikki?" Cleo spoke up. "Will you go with me to the ladies room?" Cleo smiled at Cole. "You know we girls hate to go alone."

"I was just going to ask you the same thing." Rikki stood and hurried down the hall towards the bathrooms. Cleo hurried behind her.

The pair rushed into the room and locked the door securely behind them after checking to make sure they were alone.

"Will you _please_ tell me what you are up to?" Cleo said anxiously. "What is going on?"

"Ok." Rikki spoke quickly. "In just a few minutes Lewis and Will are going to come in here. They're going to tell you that something is wrong, I don't know exactly what they'll come up with, but you need to go with them."

"Why?" Cleo said, panicked.

"Just go with it." Rikki didn't want Cleo to worry any more than she had to. "Whatever Lewis and Will say, just go along with it."

"Fine, I'll do it." Cleo nodded her head. "I'm trusting you, Rikki. But you have a whole bunch of explaining to do."

"You've got it." Rikki hurried to open the bathroom door and held it open for Cleo to walk through.

The pair quickly stepped through to the hallway and started back to their table.

"Cleo!" Like a pair of twins, Lewis and Will cut the pair off before they could reach their destination. Both Cole and Dillon's heads popped up from the table, trying to get a look at who it was keeping the girls from making it back.

"Something has come up at home," Lewis started. "Ah, your Dad needs your help with Kim."

Will nodded enthusiastically.

Cleo locked eyes with Rikki briefly before looking back to Lewis. "O- Ok. It must be important."

"Why it sure is." Lewis grabbed Cleo by the arm and began leading her towards the kitchen. "There's a side door through here." He whispered.

"Hey!" A voice came from behind them. Cole rushed up to the couple and grabbed Lewis by the shoulder, stopping him. "Where are you going?"

"Oh!" Cloe had momentarily forgotten about Cole. "Sorry, I have to go home, uh, right now."

"Problem with Kim." Lewis said with a nod. "Cleo's dad really needs her."

"I'll go with you." Cole said, turning back to the table to grab his jacket.

"Aw, thanks Cole." Lewis tried to usher Cleo out the kitchen door. "But it's really ok."

"Lewis," Cleo held back and reached for Cole's hand. "Don't be silly. Cole is welcome to join us."

"But _Cleo..._" Lewis raised his eyebrows so high they disappeared into his hairline. "I'm not sure that's such a good-"

"It's fine." Cleo didn't know exactly what was going on, but she knew they all had to keep Cole happy. "I'd like for Cole to join us." She flashed Cole what she hoped was a convincing grin before turning to follow a reluctant Lewis out the kitchen door.

Lewis gritted his teeth and pushed his way through the kitchen door, dragging Cleo behind him. And Cleo dragged Cole. Will followed up the back of the line, keeping an eye peeled for anyone who might try to stop them. Rikki watched the tiny train as it traveled through the exit before heading back to her own table. She was resigned to the fact that she would just have to face the reporters outside. She'd brought it on herself, really. Rikki took a long, deep breath before taking her seat, trying to mentally prepare for what she would have to face once they left the restaurant. She resigned herself to the fact that she would have to walk out to the photographers. There was really no way around it, and Rikki felt like she'd done this to herself herself anyway. She would just need to take her punishment.

"It's a shame your friends had to go." Dillon said warmly as he slid his chair closer to Rikki's. "But I can't lie, I'm awfully glad to get to talk to you alone."

"I'll bet you are." Rikki said nervously, looking around at the other tables. She wondered where Zane had gone. Eventually she spotted him at a far table, deep in conversation with Ally.

"How about we get out of here? Go somewhere private?" Cole took Rikki's hand in his and squeezed it lightly.

In spite of everything she knew, Rikki felt herself melting momentarily. She quickly tried to shake herself out of it. "Sure." She said simply. She knew she would have to face the photographers sooner or later, it might as well be now.

Dillon immediately stood up and headed for the exit, holding Rikki tightly behind him. They made their way to the door and Dillon immediately pushed it open.

For the slightest fraction of a second Rikki thought she was ok. She thought that just maybe Zane was wrong, that maybe Dillon really had just been interested in getting to know her.

She was wrong.

Just a second after she stepped outside the cameras started flashing. It was blinding. Rikki could barely see the path in front of her. Beside her, Dillon was waving and smiling for the photographs, mugging it up for the cameras as he walked. That's when Rikki saw the sparkling streams of water flying through the air.

She was hit in at least 5 different spots. Dillon was soaked too, but he didn't seem to notice as he posed around Rikki. Rikki took one last deep breath and slowly counted to ten. She felt the transformation beginning and tried to prepare herself for the questions that would inevitably follow. Rikki twisted her head, trying to get a ocunt on how many photographers were out there. She lost count at 15, and lost all comprehension a second later.

There stood Zane, right outside the exit of the restaurant, staring at her. Ally stood a few feet closer to the walkway, snapping pictures eagerly with her phone. And there was Zane. Standing far back, against the wall, just watching Rikki's humiliation.

Rikki's legs fused together and she felt herself begin to fall to the side. On cue, Dillon knelt down and caught her before she could land. Rikki dropped right into his arms as the cameras seemed to explode around her. Her fin was fully exposed as she lay, paralyzed, in Dillon's arms.

"Dillon?" Rikki called to him desperately, but he was too busy posing. "Dillon!"

This time she managed to catch his attention. Dillon swept her up into his arms, holding her in both arms high above the crowd. He took his time making it to the vehicle he had waiting and, after posing for several more pictures, slid into the backseat beside her, fin and all.

Rikki tried hard to compose herself as the car pulled away. She was usually so stolid, so tough, but seeing Zane standing there hurt her more than she knew it could. She couldn't shake the look on his face as he stood there, not doing a thing to help her. Rikki shook her head slightly. What had she expected Zane to do? Still, she'd never felt quite so helpless as she had at that moment.

Shakily, Rikki reached one hand over her fin and began to dry herself.

"Gosh, that was weird. I had no idea there would be photographers outside." Dillon said innocently, a wide-eyed look on his face. "Gee, I wonder how in the world they knew we were in there together?"

Rikki shot Dillon a humorless look out of the corner of her eye. "You're not as good an actor in real life as you are in the movies, you know." She said bitterly.

Dillon didn't seem to have heard her. He was staring dumbly at Rikki's fin as it turned back into two long legs. "Amazing."

"Yeah." Rikki reached forward and tapped the driver on the shoulder. "Take me home, please."

"Home?" Dillon sounded disappointed. "But I had hoped to take you out for coffee or dessert."

"I'll pass." Rikki said curtly.

A few minutes later the car pulled up in front of Rikki's home. She gave Dillon an insincere goodbye and hurried through her front door. She pushed it shut behind her and leaned against it, shutting the rest of the world out. The house was dark and quiet, and the lonely feeling came rushing back. To her utter dismay, Rikki felt a hot tear welling up in the corner of her eye.

"Hell no, Rikki." She said to herself, brushing the tear away quickly. She pushed herself away from the door and took a couple steps though the darkness toward the kitchen to turn on the light.

Suddenly, a warm hand shot out of the darkness and wrapped gently around Rikki's waist. Rikki opened her mouth for just a split second to yell, but stopped a millisecond later. Shocked, she looked deep into the dark brown eyes that were so familiar to her.

It was Zane. He wrapped his other arm tightly around Rikki, winding his fingers through her blonde hair and pulling her close to him.

Zane pulled her face roughly to his, bringing her near enough to smell his cologne. The pair stood there, frozen, for several moments, their lips an inch from touching.

Both were breathing hard. Rikki felt like she may start vibration with anticipation at any moment. Without a word, just before Rikki thought she couldn't stand the tension, Zane pressed his lips against Rikki's.

He kissed her hard at first, gripping her roughly with his hands. Rikki felt emotion and relief poor out of her every pore as she kissed him back. She didn't know what he was doing, and she genuinely didn't care at that moment. For now it just felt so good to be held by the only boy she'd ever really loved.

The pair remained locked to eachother for more than a few minutes. The fiery hot kiss faded into a gentle, tender one. The pair explored eachother gently with their hands, re familiarizing themselves with one another.

After several more minutes it was Zane who broke the kiss. "I'm sorry." He said huskily.

"Sorry?" Rikki's brain was still fuzzy from the shock of the last few moments.

"Rikki, it killed me to watch you get taken advantage of that way." Zane whispered in her ear, holding her closely. "Dillon Chase is a scumbag. Watching you have to go through that was terrible."

Slowly, the clouds seemed to clear from Rikki's head. The events of that night came rushing back, along with all the hurt she had felt. She took a step away from Zane, looking at him closely. "Thank you." She said quietly.

"Thank you?" Zane raised his eyebrows. "Thank you for what? For standing there and letting you get humiliated?"

"Thank you for saving Cleo." Rikki said seriously. "Thank you for risking yourself so that you could warn me."

"Of course." Zane said easily. "I never thought of doing anything different."

"What are we doing now?" Rikki couldn't help but ask. "Why are you here? What about Ally?"

Zane turned and took a couple steps away before turning to answer. "I have no idea where Ally is." He said. "I took her out to dinner tonight to tell her that I can't be with her anymore. I can't keep dating someone I don't have any feelings for." Zane walked back to Rikki and took both of her hands in his. "I'm still in love with you." Zane looked deep into her eyes as he spoke. "I've always been in love with you."

Rikki swallowed hard as she listened. "I'm still in love with you too." She said in the quietest of whispers."

The pair kissed once again, but this time it was sweet. Slow. Rikki allowed herself to lose herself in the moment before pulling away. "We have to keep this a secret." She murmured.

"Another secret?" Zane said, confused. "Rikki, aren't you tired of all of these secrets? Everything is so twisted up. The media thinks you're dating Lewis, that guy Cole is trailing Cleo, apparently Will is telling people you two are related, and once the pictures of you and Dillon show up in the media things are really going to get out of control." Zane swallowed. "Why can't you just be with me and forget everything else? I can handle the press."

"I know you can handle it, but I can't let you do it." Rikki shook her head. "I know I've made a huge mess, but I'm going to fix it. In a few days I'm going to pretend to break up with Lewis, so he'll be free. Cole seems to be pretty manageable, and I can handle the Dillon Chase fiasco." She stroked Zane's hair. "But if I'm going to fix things with everyone else I need to do the same for you. You've already been dragged into it all once, I need to keep you away from the drama."

"Shouldn't that be up to me?" Zane frowned slightly.

"Yeah, it probably should." Rikki admitted. "But I'm making the decision for you anyway. We can't be together in public. I can handle this myself."

"Rikki." Zane held her head in his hands and raised it to his. "I _can_ handle it."

"But you're not going to have to." Rikki said firmly. "I made this mess. I'm going to clean it up. Right now you need to go, I need to check on Cleo."

Zane walked sadly towards the back door. "When can I see you again?" He turned.

"I'll be in touch." It pained Rikki to watch him walk away, but she did need to check on Cleo and Cole and she didn't want to risk being photographed with Zane.

"I can handle it, Rikki." Zane paused. "Be safe."

"I will." Rikki nodded.

The door closed quietly behind Zane as he left. Rikki sank onto the couch for a few seconds, lost in thought. Then, shaking her head, she stood, walked to the kitchen, and finally turned on the light.


	19. Overheard

Zane walked slowly back in the direction of his own house, lost deep in thought. He wanted to help Rikki but he had no idea what to do exactly. Part of him was elated that Rikki still loved him. Heck, ALL of him was elated that Rikki still loved him. But what good was that if they had to keep it a secret all the time? Rikki said she was cleaning things up, but the world knew what she was. There was no way coming back from that. Would she ever let him be with her without worrying who knew?

Zane kept walking, unsure of exactly where he was headed.

Cleo's phone lit up and chimed from where it sat on the table in her kitchen. The room collectively looked towards the sound.

"It's a message from Rikki." Cleo read. "She wants us all to meet at Mako."

"No way, that's not safe." Lewis said firmly.

"Yeah, too much chance Cleo may be seen." Cole piped up.

Lewis eyed Cole warily. He still didn't like him. Not because he thought he was going to tell anyone about Cleo's secret, but because Cole was clearly falling head over heels for his girlfriend.

Will paced slightly, his hands shoved in his pockets. "I really need to call Bella." He said absently as he pulled his phone from his pants pocket.

"Who's that?" Cole asked innocently.

"She's his girlfriend." Cleo said quickly, before anyone had a chance to say that Bella was his sister, or Lewis's girlfriend, or anything else they would have to remember that wasn't true. Really there was no reason Cole shouldn't know that Bella was Will's girlfriend. Well, _Chris's_ girlfriend.

"Does she know about Cleo?" Cole pried.

"Uh..." Will looked blankly up from his phone screen as he scrambled to figure out the answer. "Oh, hey Bella. How are you?" He moved to the far side of the room and began speaking in low tones, shaking his head 'no' at Cleo.

"Yes, yes she sure does." Cleo answered firmly.

"Cleo, my friend, may I see you in the hall for just a second?" Lewis's voice was slightly higher than usual. He took Cleo gently by the elbow and led her out of the kitchen.

"Lewis..." Cleo began.

"No _Lewis,_" He interrupted. "What are you doing? Do you think it's a good idea to tell Cole about Bella?

"I didn't tell Cole about Bella, did I?" Cleo countered. "All I said was that she is Will's girlfriend and she knows about Rikki. Lewis," She put her hands on his cheeks and pulled his face towards hers. "There are so many lies floating around even I can't remember them all. Cole just thinks that 'Chris' is Rikki's brother or whatever. There's no reason Cole can't know that Bella dates Will, in fact, it just makes things easier"

"Easier?" Lewis raised his eyebrows. "How does it make things easier?"

"It'll be easier to keep Cole from wondering if Bella is a mermaid if he knows she dates Will." Cleo realized. "Everyone knows that Rikki, Bella, and I are best friends. It'll only be a matter of time before Cole starts to wonder if we are a set of three mermaids instead of two. If Bella is dating Will, Rikki's 'brother,' that explains why she could be such good friends with us without her actually being one of us. Though she would almost certainly know what we are."

Lewis blinked a few times. "I have no idea what you just said, but I trust you."

"As you should." Cleo smiled up at him. "Now give me a kiss."

"You mean I actually get to kiss my girlfriend?" Lewis murmured before pulling Cleo in for a lengthy kiss. "I'd almost forgotten what that was like."

Cole quickly stepped back from the doorway as he heard the pair head back towards the kitchen. Will was still on the phone with Bella, and he hadn't noticed Cole eavesdropping from the kitchen door.

"Hey guys, sorry about that." Lewis swept back into the kitchen. He and Cleo no longer held each other. In fact, Cole observed, they made extra effort not to make eye contact.

"No problem." Cole answered back. How had he been so blind? It all made sense. Cole's head was swimming as he tried to put together the pieces of what he'd just heard. This Bella girl was a mermaid too? And, Cole's heart sank, Lewis and Cleo were in love. Lewis wasn't really in love with Rikki.

"Are you ok?" Cleo walked over to Cole, looking slightly concerned.

"I'm fine." Cole said with a tight lipped smile. "Will you excuse me a minute?"

"Sure." Cleo said with a smile. "The restroom is just through there."

"Thanks." Cole walked quickly through the hall and shut the bathroom door behind him. He had a lot of thinking to do.

"Bella will meet us at Mako in 30 minutes." Will snapped his phone shut as he rejoined the group.

"Ok then." Lewis nodded. "She'll be there, Rikki will be there, looks like well be there too!"

"What about..." Will gestured toward the hall Cole had just walked through.

"The way I see it," Lewis paced. "We promised him a date. He got one, right? I see no reason for him to come along with us."

Cleo nodded. "I think that's fair."

"I'll meet you guys out there." Will headed for the door. "Lewis, you've got your own boat, right? " Will was anxious to see Bella, he'd missed her so much.

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead." Lewis waved for Will to head on out. "We're right behind you."

"Where are we going?" Cole reappeared.

"Oh, ah, hey Cole." Cleo gave him a warm smile as she walked to him. "I just wanted to thank you for a really great date. I've had a blast. But, erm, we've got to get going. Is that alright?"

"Sure." Cole said simply.

"I mean, it's been a blast and all, and you are such a sweet guys, but we've really got to- " Cleo stopped in the middle of her speech. "Sure?" Relief spread across her face. "Thanks so much, Cole. You're the best." Cleo gave him a huge hug and then, to Lewis's dismay, kissed him briefly on the cheek.

"We'd better hurry." Lewis took Cleo by the elbow and guided her toward the door. It slammed shut behind them.

"I'll be seeing you guys later." Cole said to the closed door.

A short half hour later, Rikki, Lewis, Cleo, Bella, and Will were safely in the cavern at the moon pool. They'd all taken slightly different routes to the island, and all were careful not to be followed. If there was one thing true about the media, it was that they were predictable. The whole gang had gotten pretty good at eluding the paparazzi that lurked around their houses.

At first, the group talked seriously about all that had been going on. But before too long, the atmosphere in the cavern changed to one of celebration. It seemed that the worst was over. Sure, Rikki would never have the same life she did before, and she would still have to deal with the Dillon Chase scandal, but for Bella and Cleo, at least, it seemed that things were beginning to clear up.

Before long, the girls were lost chatting with eachother. They were used to spending every second together. Ever since Rikki had gone public they rarely got to spend any real time. They caught up on everything that had been going on, with Rikki talking the most by far.

Will and Lewis humored the girls and let them talk all they wanted. It wasn't like they were interested in hearing about the haircut Bella had gotten yesterday. Until they heard Rikki utter one name, that is.

"Wait, what about Zane?" Lewis stepped forward.

Rikki blushed crimson. "He kissed me." She said in an embarrassed voice.

The girls all squealed and giggled like ten year olds. "I am so excited for you two." Cleo squeaked.

"Yeah yeah yeah, me too." Lewis said insincerely. "Does that mean we get to break up now?"

The room went quiet. For just the slightest fraction of a second the girls had forgotten about all of the drama. At that moment, they were just excited that Rikki and Zane were getting back together. Lewis's words brought them back to the present like a shot.

"Lewis is right." Cleo said. "You two can end things now, right?"

Rikki's smile faded slightly. "We can... but let's wait just a little bit longer."

"How much longer?" Lewis said, slightly impatiently. "Come on, Rikki. I've been playing along with you this whole time. Let's start getting things back to normal now." Lewis looked at her closely. "I think you owe me that much."

All eyes turned to Rikki, waiting for her answer.

"You're right." She admitted. "We'll stage it for tomorrow, ok?"

"Thank you." Lewis said, more than a little relieved. He turned and picked up a smiling Cleo, spinning her around in his arms as the pair laughed.

Bella and Will shared a kiss, whispering to each other how glad they were to have come out the other side of this mess intact.

"I love you, Will." Bella whispered. The corner of her mouth turned up. "Or should I call you Chris now?"

"Ha ha ha." Will said sarcastically. The group had been teasing him mercilessly about his attempt to help out by playing the role of Rikki's brother Chris. "I was just trying to get involved, alright?"

"Brilliantly." Bella said sweetly before kissing him again.

Cleo broke off from Lewis for just a second. "Why isn't Zane here?"

"I told him to stay away for a while." Rikki said sheepishly. She wasn't sure she'd made the right decision.

"What? Why?" Bella chimed in.

"I wanted to keep him away from all the drama." Rikki said meekly. It didn't sound as good out loud as it had in her head.

"Rikki, are you nuts?" Lewis shoved his hands in his pockets. "Zane is already in the drama. He has been from the beginning."

"I know..." Rikki paced. "But he's been left alone for now, people have gotten bored with him. If people find out we're back together..."

"Rikki, get over yourself." Will said bluntly, but with a smile. "Please."

"Oh shut up." Rikki playfully punched Will on the arm.

The hours passed by quickly. The group enjoyed eachother's company, telling stories and teasing one another. For the first time in a while, they felt totally safe. The news crews had no idea where they were. No one could find them there.

Except for one person.

"Thanks for meeting me." Cole said as he took a seat opposite the shiny pine desk.

"You didn't give me much choice." Lorie answered, folding his arms across his chest. "Your message was pretty cryptic."

"Well, to be honest, I've come across some information that's taken me somewhat by surprise." Cole leaned back in his chair. "I really don't like being lied to, Laurie."

"Lied to?" Laurie said blankly. "What are you talking about."

Cole leaned forward. "I'm talking about the fact that there's a third mermaid, some girl named Bella. And Rikki isn't dating Lewis, Cleo is. Which means all the time they've been spending with me was a lie." Cole raised an eyebrow. "And Chris? Rikki's brother? Nonexistent."

Cole stood and paced a bit. "You know, Laurie, I could have handled all of this just fine. But you know what really gets to me?" He held his hands out. "I kept my part of this deal. I didn't tell a soul about Cleo, I did exactly what you all wanted me to do, even though _ I am a photographer_ and still you all thought it would be funny to jerk me around."

Laurie sat back hard. Bella was a mermaid too. The girls had neglected to tell him that little detail, even though he had made them swear total honesty. But it made perfect sense. All three of the girls were mermaids. In spite of himself, Laurie found himself feeling incredibly betrayed. Just like Cole. Laurie gave Cole an appraising look.

"You can't hurt these girls." Laurie spoke carefully. "I'm sorry if they've been dishonest to you, but you can't release details about Cleo to the press." Laurie swallowed. "Or Bella."

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't." Cole's tone leveled. "I could be a celebrity by tomorrow if I tell everything I know."

"But you don't want to do that." Laurie said quickly. "I'm sure we can work something out."

Cole raised one eyebrow. "I'm sure we can."

"What did you have in mind?"" Laurie tried to keep his face blank.

Cole leaned forward and spoke in a whisper. "I want to know how the girls became mermaids. And then I want to become one myself."

"You want to be a merman?" Laurie said in disbelief. "Why?"

"Why not?" Cole chuckled. "Money, fame, powers. Sounds like a good deal to me. Plus, I think it would be pretty cool."

"But is it worth changing your whole life for something that's 'pretty cool?'" Laurie asked.

"I don't think that matters to you, does it?" Cole said confidently, perhaps more confidently than he actually was. "And don't say a word about it to the mermaids. This is between you and me. I don't want them doing anything to prevent me from following through. If anything or anyone stops me I'll tell the press everything."

"And if I do that for you you won't say anything about the girls?" Laurie asked seriously.

"Not a word." Cold crossed his arms over his chest.

Laurie took a deep breath. He barely understood how the girls had been changed in the first place, but he had the notes he'd gotten from Rikki.

"Fine." Laurie sighed. "I'll do it."


	20. Confronted

Night came over the small Mako Island before the group realized it. They had settled into a quiet contentment there at their own private cave. Bella was draped across Will's lap He stroked her back as she sighed with happiness.

Cleo and Lewis were in the water together. Lewis sat towards the edge of the moon pool, holding Cleo tightly in his arms. He never wanted to let her go. True, they'd never _really_ broken up, but he had hated having to pretend he wasn't in love with her. Things were finally going to be back to normal, and they really couldn't wait.

Rikki found herself alone. Bella had Will, Cleo had Lewis, but Rikki didn't have anyone here. Well, she could have had Zane, but she'd pushed him away once again. Rikki mentally kicked herself. He was really the only person she wanted to see, and she had forbidden him from being close to her.

The only sound in the cavern was the delicate lapping of the waves against the edge of the pool. All five of them were gla to be able to just relax for a minute.

They had no idea just how short that minute was going to be.

"So we're clear?" Cole stood. He and Laurie had been deep in negotiations for the better part of the last two hours.

Laurie was trying his hardest to talk Cole out of this ultimatum, but he couldn't seem to budge him. "Yes, perfectly clear." He sighed. In all honesty, it seemed like Cole's anger was more because of the embarrassment of betrayal than anything else. He was upset that the whole group had deceived him. Laurie believed that, after a few weeks had passed, Cole's anger would fade. He didn't want the kid's whole life to be changed because of one moment of impulsiveness.

"Good." Cole stood up coolly. He checked his phone. "The next full moon is the day after tomorrow." He looked up at Laurie. "You say that's when the change takes place?"

"That's what I was told." It pained Laurie to say the words out loud. He had promised to never reveal the secret of how the girls were changed, but he really didn't see any other choice. He couldn't let Cleo's secret be revealed to the world.

"Fantastic." Cole said dryly. "I'll be headed out then. I _will_ be in touch." Cole stormed out the door and slammed it shut behind him.

Laurie let out a long sigh and sank down into his chair. His brain was racing at a million miles an hour. Cole had made him swear not to say a word to anyone about their deal. He said if he got the slightest inkling that anyone knew what he was up to he would immediately go to the press with what he knew. Laurie didn't know if he meant it or not, but he wasn't willing to call his bluff and be mistaken.

The deal was a simple one. Laurie was to take Cole to Mako on the next full moon and show him exactly how to become a merman. Cole wanted the fame for himself. He wanted the riches and the attention that the change would bring him. If he didn't get his way he would expose both Cleo and Bella to the news. As long as Laurie complied with Cole's demands he was assured that their secret would remain a secret.

Laurie picked up his phone, dialed, and held it up to his ear. It rang once, twice, and before it could ring a third time Laurie dropped it back down onto the desk. Who could he call? He wanted to call the girls and tell them what was going on, but Rikki had a temper. What if she tried to confront Cole? And what if he told everyone what he knew?

Laurie looked at the phone for a long time, unsure of how to handle things. Eventually he made his decision. With slightly shaking hands he reached out for the phone and dialed. He held it to his ear and waited for the familiar voice to answer.

Cleo, Lewis, Bella, Will, and Rikki had just been dusting themselves off and discussing the best ways for each of them to get back to the mainland. It really wasn't too terribly complicated. Rikki would swim, Lewis and Will would boat, Bella would ride with Will, and Cleo would swim a roundabout route so that she would never be seen.

Rikki dove into the water first. If she was spotted getting out of the water she would attract all of the attention, thus sparing the rest of the group. Of course, she would try to avoid all attention, but there was never a guarantee that it would work.

The remaining couples waited the agreed-on ten minutes before Will and Bella took off in Will's boat. Bella sat carefully in the middle of the small vessel. Will steered it carefully, making sure to keep the water from splashing into the boat.

Cleo and Lewis watched the tiny boat as it traveled out into the sea. They had their arms wrapped around one another. Cleo's head rested on Lewis's shoulder as the sea breeze caused her hair to ripple.

Cleo checked the watch on Lewis's wrist. "Ten minutes." She said with a sigh.

Lewis held Cleo's chin carefully in one hand and raised her face to his. "Who says we have to leave here in ten minutes?" He whispered with a grin. "Why not make it a little longer?"

The pair kissed long and hard, losing themselves in the moment. Eventually their knees weakened and they found themselves kneeling on the sand together. Lewis wrapped one arm around Cleo's waist and pulled her down onto the sand on top of him.

"God, I've missed you." He said huskily.

"You have no idea." Cleo murmured back.

They rolled on the sand, hands roaming to whatever they could reach. Things were starting to heat up when Cleo's phone rang, surprising her. She immediately shook herself out of the moment and sat up, shaking sand out of her hair as she did so.

"One second, let me check who it is." Cleo giggled as she reached into her pocket for her phone. "I'll be it's Rikki. They're probably wondering what's keeping us." Her brow furrowed as she read the caller ID. "It's Laurie." She said, confused. She quickly flipped the phone opened and put it on speaker. "Hello?"

"Hey, Cleo, I'm really glad you answered." Laurie said nervously. "I need to talk to you about something really important. _Now._"

"Ah, Ok Laurie." Cleo said, bewildered. "What's up?"

"Not over the phone." Laurie spoke breathlessly. "Where can I meet you?"

"How about your office?" Cleo offered.

"No!" Laurie said quickly. "Somewhere else."

"Ok..." Cleo shrugged at Lewis. "How about Mako Island? That's where Lewis and I are right now."

"Yeah, that should be find." Laurie's voice sounded vacant. "I'll be there in thirty minutes. And keep Lewis there, this concerns both of you."

"Ok Laurie." Cleo said quietly. She didn't know what was bothering him so much but she hated to hear her friend so stressed out. "We'll be here." She shut the phone and looked up at her boyfriend. "What do you suppose is bothering him?"

Lewis shrugged wordlessly. The spontaneous and fun mood from earlier had been broken. He moved closer to Cleo on the beach and wrapped on arm tightly around her shoulders as the pair waited for Laurie to arrive.

It wasn't much longer before they heard the boat engine approaching. Laurie looked in awe at the island as he arrived. He had boated past it several times, and he knew plenty about it from Cleo and Rikki, but this was the first time he'd ventured out there alone. Once the boat reached the sand he stumbled out and dragged it up the shore a bit. Cleo and Lewis hurried to meet him.

"I am so glad to see you two." Laurie said, relieved. He was still unsure about his decision, but he knew he'd feel better after talking to the couple.

"We're glad to see you too." Cleo said quickly. "What's up? You didn't sound like yourself on the phone."

"That's because I'm not myself." Laurie spoke in a fast, heated tone. "I need to talk to you. This is important. Can we go somewhere private?"

"Um, Laurie?" Cleo looked right to left. "This is an _island._ We're the only ones for miles."

"But he may be able to see us." Laurie panicked. He hurried deep into the line of thick trees, unable to be seen from the shore.

"Who might be able to see us?" Lewis asked as he and Cleo followed him.

"Cole." Laurie said nervously. "Something really bad has happened."

Laurie spoke quickly, before he had a chance to change his mind. He explained that Cole had overheard the conversation Cleo and Lewis had had. He explained how angry Cole had been at the betrayal and the, lastly, he told the two about Cole's demand.

"He wants what?" Cleo asked breathlessly.

"In exchange for he silence he wants to become a merman." Laurie repeated.

"No way." Lewis said quickly. "That's not going to happen. What did you tell him?"

"I said I'd do it." Laurie said quietly. "What else was I suppose to say? He's going to tell everyone about Cleo and Bella."

"No no no no no." Cleo paced, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She stopped and looked to Laurie. "Does he know how to make the change happen?"

"No, I haven't told him how to do it or anything." Laurie said reassuringly. "But listen, he forbade me from speaking to any of you about this. You _can't_ let on that you know. Or he'll tell everything."

The three sat in total silence for several seconds, each of them deep in thought. Eventually Cleo reached out a hand to Laurie, squeezing his arm reassuringly.

"Thank you for telling us." She said.

"But now what?" Lewis paced. "Do we just let Cole become a merman? And then what? How do we know he won't still tell what he knows?"

"He swore he wouldn't tell as long as I change him." Laurie spoke up.

"Yeah, but he also promised to keep quiet about Cleo as long as he got a stupid _date._" Lewis said bitterly.

"We shouldn't have lied to him." Cleo's voice echoed through the trees, silencing the two men. She turned to face them. "None of this would be happening if we'd told him everything from the beginning. We should never have tried to trick him."

Both Laurie and Lewis knew that she was right.

"I've made my decision." Cleo said solemnly. "I just need to talk to someone else before I go through with it." Cleo pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed a number. She stepped away from their small group so the boys couldn't hear who she was talking to. A few seconds later she returned. "I need to go." She said bluntly, walking towards the waves.

"Hey, hey, Cleo wait up." Lewis jogged to catch her by the elbow. "What are you going to do about Cole? Shouldn't we talk about this?"

"I know how to keep Cole quiet." Cleo said carefully. "This is up to me, Lewis." She kissed him lightly before turning and running out into the surf. A few seconds later she had disappeared into the waves.

"This is just great." Lewis muttered. He hated to feel out of control. He had no idea what Cleo was planning and that terrified him. Cole was in love with her. Just what did she have in mind. "I need to get out of here." He called to Laurie as he pushed his boat out to the water. "Keep me updated." With that, Lewis was gone, leaving Laurie sitting in the sand, his head in his hands.

Lewis dialed Cleo's number over and over, but she didn't answer. He tried Rikki's and Bella's too, but all three just went through to voicemail. Lewis eventually showed up at Will's boat shed, tired from searching for the girls. He knocked on the door but there was no answer. Lewis leaned against the door, one hand on the doorknob. To his surprise, the knob turned. The door hadn't been locked.

Lewis let himself in and called around, but it was definitely vacant. Lewis could hear the TV on in the other room, but no one was watching in. At his wit's end, Lewis just decided to go to the kitchen and pour himself a glass of water. As he took a long drink he heard Cleo's voice, almost subconsciously.

"Cleo?" Lewis called, looking around the corner into the living room.

Cleo wasn't there. To Lewis's horror, there she was on the television, with Bella standing right beside her. A bright eyed and breathless reporter held a microphone out to the pair. A bright red headline flashed across the bottom of the screen. Lewis's heart stopped beating as he read it. "New mermaids come forward." It flashed.

"No Cleo, don't do it." Lewis whispered desperately. He had never felt so utterly helpless as he watched the girl he loved.

Cleo spoke into the microphone, looking nervous but determined. Her words all blended together as Lewis watched , frozen. It really didn't matter to him what Cleo was saying. Then, she did the thing that _did_ matter. Together, she and Bella stuck their hands into a small cup of water the reporter held out to them.

"No!" Lewis shouted.

Ten seconds later, both girls transformed in front of a giddy news crew. Lewis stood, unable to move, hands resting on either side of the television. Will came bursting though the door a second later. His eyes raced through the room, finally landing on Lewis.  
>He walked in slow motion towards the TV.<p>

"She did it." He whispered.

"They both did." Lewis felt like everything was collapsing around him.

"I begged her not to." Will said weakly. "She ran away with Cleo, I couldn't stop her."

"Cleo didn't tell me." Lewis said softly. "She knew I'd stop her."

The boys watched the rest of the broadcast in silence. It wasn't anything they didn't already know. The girls were relatively truthful. They lied, of course, about how they became mermaids, but that was about it. Cleo admitted that she and Lewis were very much in love, not Lewis and Rikki. Surprisingly, the reporter seemed almost more interested in that piece of information than much else.

"Stupid media." Lewis muttered. "They care way too much about who's with who." Deep down, Lewis was just the smallest bit relieved that he could be with Cleo in public now.

Bella left Will's name out of her testimony. Will didn't know if he was glad or not. He did _not_ want this publicity. Not a bit. But he loved Bella and didn't want to have to give her up either.

The girls spoke for several more minutes before ending the interview. "We will be having a formal press conference for invited press only." Cleo announced. The girls had decided to handle this much the same way Rikki had.

The screen flipped to the main studio, where tow very excited news anchors immediately began chattering about how many other mermaids might be out there.

Lewis and Will sat quietly in the boat shed, unsure of what to do next.


	21. Next

Hey guys! Sorry, this chapter is mostly just setting things up for the _next_ chapter, which is going to see a whole lot of action! Thanks so much for sticking with me, we're nearing the end of this one. I'll be updating frequently over the next few weeks! Thanks so much for all the reviews, they really make my day! :)

* * *

><p>Cleo and Bella were ushered quickly through a long hall and through an unmarked door. They shielded their eyes as they stepped out into the bright sun outside.<p>

"Hurry, this way." Laurie guided them briskly to a waiting car. He opened the back door for the girls to slip inside before dashing around to the driver's side door and getting in. He revved the engine and drove out of the lot just as a crowd of reporters burst through the doors of the studio.

"I can't believe we just did that." Cleo said numbly. She turned to look at Bella, who sat quietly beside her. "Did we do the right thing?"

"I hope so." Bella wasn't sure how she felt at the moment. The whole world knew her biggest secret. A secret she had never wanted to be shared.

"It was going to happen anyway." Cleo wasn't sure if she was reassuring Bella or herself. "I mean, Cole would have told everyone if we hadn't. At least now we're in control."

"Mm hmm." Bella nodded.

Laurie racked his brain for the right thing to say to his two young friends, but he couldn't seem to find the words. He felt terrible. If hadn't been so careless with Cleo's data... Laurie shook himself. There was no point in blaming himself anymore. What was done was done. In fact, Laurie realized that it wasn't just Cole who's feelings were hurt. Laurie looked at Bella through the rear view mirror. A _third_ mermaid. After all he had done for Rikki it had never occurred to him that she might not be telling him everything.

"Where are we going, Laurie?" Bella caught him watching her.

Laurie quickly averted his eyes. "To the marine park." He drove carefully. "Your press conference starts in just about an hour."

"Right." Bella nodded.

The car sped down the road. Bella, Cleo, and Laurie reviewed their answers half-heartedly. The atmosphere in the car was a defeated one. No matter how hard the girls tried to be optimistic they couldn't quite make themselves feel it.

Neither Lewis nor Will had moved a muscle in nearly an hour. They sat, side by side, frozen on Will's couch. They couldn't seem to wrap their minds around what had just happened. Neither of them moved a muscle when the front door to the boat shed swung open hesitantly.

Zane stepped into the dark shed slowly, looking around for something. His eyes landed on Lewis and Will on the couch, then slid up to settle on the tv, which was replaying Bella and Cleo's interview for the tenth time.

"So they went through with it." Zane said blankly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Lewis managed to wrench his eyes from the television screen. They narrowed as they focused on Zane. "What are you doing here?" He asked bitterly.

"Looking for you guys." Zane said bluntly.

"Why." Will didn't even pretend to be polite. All he wanted to do was grab Bella and run as far away as they could.

"I know you two are mad." Zane stood in front of the tv, blocking Lewis and Will's view.

"What do you know about any of this?" Lewis let some of his anger at his helplessness leak through to his words.

"I set up Cleo and Bella's interview." Zane crossed his arms over his chest.

"You _what_?" Will jumped to his feet and shoved Zane forcefully, causing him to crash hard into the television. It wobbled, but didn't fall over.

"Hey, cool it." Zane righted himself. "They asked me to."

"And you _listened_ to them? What the hell, Zane?" Lewis said angrily.

"Hey, they were pretty dead set on going public." Zane defended himself firmly. "They were just going to dump water over themselves at the cafe the way Rikki did. I convinced them to do it on camera. Much safer." He added.

"Safer?" Will said incredulously. "Zane, all three of our girls are out now. Couldn't you talk them out of it?" Will sank back down onto the couch, his head in his hands.

"I tried." Zane's voice was slightly gentler this time. "They wouldn't listen."

"But why?" Lewis sat next to Will.

"Cole." Zane said simply. "There was no way they were going to fold to his threats."

"But we could have figured something else out..." Lewis ran his fingers through his hair roughly as he spoke.

"Like what?" Zane countered.

No one had an answer for him.

"Listen." Zane folded his arms over his chest. "There isn't anything we can do about it now. We just need to figure out where to go from here."

"He's right." Will nodded. "Now what?"

"Rikki thinks she has all of this figured out." Zane paced slightly. "But she has no idea what she's doing. I say we take matters into our own hands."

"Meaning what?" Lewis folded his arms tightly.

"She won't be seen with me in public." Zane ticked off items on his fingers. "Cleo and Bella were forced to reveal themselves. This Cole guy is trying to control the girls." Zane had an ambitious look on his face. "Let's fix it."

"_How?_" Lewis pushed.

"I'm not positive." Zane deflated. "But between the three of us we have to be able to figure out a way to get things under control. Right?"

The boys looked uncertainly at each other for a few moments before Lewis began throwing out possible ideas. Before too long they were all deep in conversation, trying to find a way to piece together their lives.

"Well that was weird." Cleo muttered to Bella as they walked out of the large auditorium. Their press conference had just ended and they were more than a little glad to be out of there. They had begun to adjust to the idea of being public, but it was still so strange.

Laurie ushered them into a small waiting room. They were to wait there while he brought the car around. The room seemed eerily quiet as the door swung shut and locked behind him.

"We did it." Cleo managed a feeble grin. "The worst is behind us."

"Yeah, until we leave this room." Bella said glumly. "Or try to go shopping or to the movies. Then it's going to start all over again."

Cleo didn't have an answer for her friend. She reached an arm out and wrapped it around Bella's shoulders.

"I just wanted to get out of the stupid swim test." Bella said quietly.

"What?" Cleo didn't understand.

"When this all started." Bella spoke. "When we were all talking about how nice it would be to be able to tell people what we are. All I wanted was to be able to tell the teacher what I was so that I wouldn't have to take the senior swim test. And now look at us."

Cleo nodded. "I just wanted to be a dolphin trainer." She said with a sad smile.

Cleo's phone blipped brightly. "Laurie's on his way to unlock us and take us to the car, be ready." She clicked the phone shut and slid it into her bag.

Moments later Laurie was ushering the girls through the short hallway and outside. Camera flashes blinded them as the tried to hurry into the vehicle. Laurie managed to get Cleo and Bella in safely before hurrying around to the driver's side door.

Cleo and Bella were shocked to have two arms wrapped around them as they settled in.

"Thank god." Rikki exhaled. She gripped her friends tightly for several seconds before releasing them.

Rikki looked terrible. Her hair was a mess, her makeup was running, and it looked like she'd been crying for hours.

"I am so sorry you guys, this is all my fault." Rikki choked on her sobs. "I mean, I just wasn't thinking. I had no idea how badly this would ruin your lives and-"

"Sh." Cleo took her friend's hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly. "It's ok, Rikki."

"No it isn't." Rikki shook her head, wiping tears from her eyes.

"It was probably going to happen eventually." Bella tried to sound cheery. "At least we're in it together now."

It felt weird for Cleo and Bella to be comforting Rikki. Rikki was usually so headstrong and confident. Still, she was their friend and they weren't about to abandon her.

Cleo's phone rang loudly, surprising her. She looked at the caller ID before looking to the girls, fear in her eyes. "It's Cole." She said nervously.

"Answer it!" Rikki urged.

Cleo obeyed, pressing her phone to her ear. "Hello?"

She listened intently for a few seconds, her brows knit tightly together. "But why would you-" She stopped and looked at the phone. "He's hung up on me."

"What did he say?" Bella urged.

"He wants us to meet him at the moon pool tomorrow night." Cleo said shakily.

"Tomorrow is a full moon." Realization hit Rikki like a brick.

"But he doesn't know how to make the change, does he?" Cleo began to sweat with nerves.

"I don't know what he knows, but I don't have a good feeling about this." Rikki had never been at such a loss as to what to do next.

Laurie drove them quickly, dropping off the three girls at Cleo's home. They hurried through the front door before anyone could notice them and locked it tightly behind them.

Cole tucked his phone into his jeans pocket, satisfied with himself. He flipped through the pages he'd stolen off Laurie's desk during the mermaids' press conference.

"So that's the secret." He murmured to himself. "Laurie, Laurie, Laurie." He flipped to the next page. "You've got to take better care of your research." He flipped through page after page. They were handwritten, probably by one of the mermaids he guessed.

"Mako Island moon pool at midnight." Cole couldn't believe how simple this was going to be.

"Come on, hurry." Zane urged the other two boys to move faster. "I told Laurie we'd meet him in ten minutes."

"Did you tell the girls?" Will hurried after the small group.

"Nope." Zane said confidently. "Rikki has forbidden me to be seen publicly with her. She'd just say no. Are you two ready for this?"

Both Lewis and Will nodded firmly as they walked. They marched up to an unfamiliar house and pounded on the door.

"We know you're in there, Cole." Lewis called. Really the boys weren't sure where he was, but they wanted to sound firm.

To their surprise, the door swung open a few seconds later.

"What are the three of you doing here?" Cole said cockily.

"We have a message from the girls. They want to meet up with you." Will said coolly.

Cole's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You're lying." He said without question.

"You're right." Zane lunged at the blonde and pinned his arms at his sides.

Like a well oiled machine Will grabbed Cole's ankles and Lewis grabbed him around the middle. In a snap they had Cole hoisted into the air and carried him back inside the small house, slamming the door behind them.


	22. Cole

"Any word from Lewis?" Rikki asked anxiously.

"Nothing." Cleo said disappointedly.

It had been almost a whole day since the girls had been in contact with Will or Lewis. They weren't at the boat shed, they weren't at the cafe, and, most worrying, neither of them were answering their phones.

"Do you think they're in trouble?" Bella fretted.

"I'd like to say no." Rikki checked her watch. It was just about time to head to Mako for their appointment with Cole.

"You know what he wants." Cleo paced. "Cole still wants to be a merman."

"Well that's not going to happen." Rikki said firmly. "He must not know how to do it, why else would he need us there?"

"Yeah, and he doesn't have anything to threaten us with anymore." Bella reasoned.

"Unless he has Lewis and Will." Cleo's words echoed.

Silence fell throughout the room as the girls thought about her words.

"Well then I hope he enjoys his tail." Rikki said eventually. Nothing was worth losing Will or Lewis, even if Cole ended up winning this game.

"Aren't you going to call Zane?" Bella looked at Rikki.

"No." Rikki answered. She had said she wanted Zane kept out of this and she meant it, even though she longed to hear his voice. She checked her watch one last time. "We can't wait any longer, we need to get going."

"Yeah, I don't want to keep him waiting." Cleo tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"He sure timed this just right." Bella peeked out the front window. The moon was just barely making its appearance over the edge of the earth.

"Yeah he did." Rikki noted grimly. "Are we ready?"

Cleo's home sat right on the canal. There were reporters lurking all over the place trying to catch pictures of the girls together. One resourceful jerk had even turned the sprinkler system on the neighbor's property on and had it directed right at the house. The girls had worked things out, hypothetically. They would bolt out the back door, through the lawn, and dive straight into the canal and swim away before any of them could be detained. The reporters could take as many pictures as they wanted as long as none of them tried to stop them. If any of them were caught there was no way to avoid transforming.

"On the count of three." Rikki held the doorknob tightly in her hand. She took a long deep breath. "One... two... three!"

Like a shot, the girls took off running through the door.

"Go go go!" Cleo shrieked as the water from the sprinklers doused them.

"They're back here!" A particularly mousy paparazzo yelled to the rest of the group and whipped out a camera. "Girls! Hey, girls!"

Bella, Cleo, and Rikki ran as fast as they possibly could. For the first time in what felt like forever, their plan worked perfectly. They dove into the water together in a perfect line, unable to be caught by anyone. All three broke into smiles as they realized that they'd made it. Quickly, before they could be followed by even the fastest boat, they flew through the water on their way to Mako Island.

"Ok, this is the last time I'm going to tell you." Lewis's voice echoed through the familiar cavern. "You need to leave town."

"No." Cole said smugly.

"I really don't think you're in any position to be telling us no." Zane said smoothly from the other side of the moon pool.

If this had been a slightly different situation Zane would have been right. The boys had tied Cole up and shoved him into Lewis's car. They didn't know where to take him where they wouldn't be discovered, so they'd eventually piled him into Lewis's boat and taken him out to Mako Island. In all truthfullness, they weren't exactly sure what they were going to do with him. They didn't have any intention of actually hurting the boy, but they wanted to make him go away. They thought maybe if they could scare him a bit he would leave the girls alone. It didn't hurt that Lewis and Will were genuinely furious with Cole. It was Cole's fault that Bella and Cleo had gone public, and they weren't willing to forgive and forget just yet.

Yes, if this had been a slightly different situation Zane would have been absolutely correct. However, they boys didn't know what Cole knew. They didn't know that Cole had told the girls to meet him at Mako Island in time for the moon to pass overhead. They also didn't know that Cole was perfectly aware of how to become a merman.

Cole smiled inwardly. He couldn't wait to see the shock on the girls' faces when they watched him jump into the moon pool. To see how he had tricked them this time.

Something gnawed at Cole's concious. He shook his head, clearing away whatever it had been.

Will took Zane by the elbow and dragged him out of hearing range. "How long are we going to keep this up?" He pressed.

"I have no idea." Zane admitted. "Until he agrees to leave the girls alone."

"And then what?" Will raised his eyebrows. "How do we know for sure that he'll stop?"

"We'll figure that out later." Zane pushed past Will back into the cavern.

Will sighed. This had all seemed like such a good idea when they'd planned it out. Intimidate Cole, get him out of the way. Then go to the news stations and tell them to lay off or get no more appearances from the mermaids. They were so determined to make things better for the girls and they were doing it the best way they knew how. However, none of them had counted on Cole's utter cockiness. He was completely unfazed by the boys' threats. It had taken all three of the boyfriends by surprise. They'd expected Cole to fold pretty quickly, not stand up to them. Their confidence was down but not gone by any means.

"I'm not going anywhere." Cole answered Zane's newest threats coolly.

"You sure are. And you're never going anywhere near the girls again." Zane said determinedly.

"Sure I'm not." Cole said sarcastically, leaning back in his chair to examine the sky above them. It was completely dark now. The girls should be arriving soon. Cole began working at the ropes that held his wrists together. He had to keep himself from smiling when he realized just what bad kidnappers the boys were. The knots were barely a challenge for him to loosen. Of course, his years as a junior scout helped, but the bottom line was that these boys were not experienced in how to detain someone. Cole began to twist his legs, keeping his eyes locked on the three boys who had begun arguing quietly with one another. In a matter of seconds he had loosed both the ropes holding his arms and the rope tied clumsily around his legs. He stopped moving just in case one of his captors came back over.

Right on cue, three very familiar heads surfaced in the water.

"Rikki?"  
>"Bella?"<br>"Cleo?" The three boys spoke in synchronized shock.

"Rikki?"  
>"Will?"<br>"Lewis?" The girls echoed.

"What in the world are you doing here?" Lewis rushed forward and helped Cleo out of the water. "It isn't safe, you need to go right back home."

"What are you three doing here?" Cleo asked, noticing Cole. "What the hell is going on?"

The three boys looked at the girls guiltily for just a second before Zane spoke up. "We were trying to help fix things."

"By kidnapping him?" Cleo marched over to stand beside Cole. "What in the world were you thinking?"

"We were thinking we could get him to leave you girls alone." Lewis said unapologetically. "What are you three doing here?"

"He asked him to meet us." Bella spoke up. "We were worried that he had kidnapped _you."_

"Us?" Lewis screwed up his face.

"We haven't been able to get ahold of you or Will, we were worried." Cleo shot back.

"Ok!" Rikki shouted. "We need to stop arguing, we aren't getting anything done."

"Maybe you aren't." Cole stood, to the surprise and dismay of everyone in the cavern. "But I am."

"Hey, stand back man." Lewis held his hands out, gesturing for Cole to stay away. "Just get out of here."

"Oh I plan to." Cole looked up at the sky above him. The moon was moving directly overhead. It would only be a few more minutes till it was time for magic.

Bella's eyes followed Cole's. It only took a fraction of a second for her to realize what he was looking for. "Rikki, he _knows._"

"Knows? Knows what?" Will's expression was vacant.

"He knows how to change." Rikki stepped forward, reaching the same conclusion that Bella had. "How did you find out?"

"Laurie's a nice guy." Cole casually shoved his hands in his pockets as he spoke. "But he's such an idiot."

"You found his paperwork." Cleo figured it out.

"He didn't even have it locked away." Cole laughed. "It was right in his filing cabinet."

"You can't do it, Cole." Rikki spoke loudly. "We won't let you."

"How in the world are you going to stop me?" Cole sneered. "If I don't get to change today I can come back next month and the next month."

"And we'll be here for every one." Bella stepped forward.

"Well you're welcome to visit anytime." Cole stepped to the edge of the water. "But I think tonight's a good night for a change, don't you?"

Bella instinctively held her hand out over the pool, hardening the surface of the water into a firm, glass-like gel. "There." She said breathlessly. "Just try it. It'll hold your weight, walk on it all you want."

"It'll hold _my_ weight?" Cole seemed unfazed by the turn of events. "And what about two of us?" In a flash Cole's arm shot out and grabbed Lewis by the collar. He yanked him nearly off his feet and shoved him to the edge of the pool. His other hand gripped Lewis's collar bone tightly, forcing him to move where he wanted him to. He held him so that his toes were just off the edge of the pool. Lewis tried to balance but the way Cole was holding him made it impossible for him to right himself. Lewis locked eyes with Cleo. She could see the fear reflected in them. Lewis did not want this. He had never had the desire to swim the way Cleo did, in fact, he often wished Cleo could be normal every once in a while. Lewis swallowed hard, trying not to move.

"One push." Cole said calmly. "That's all it will take. And I have to tell you, I don't think that pretty little gel cover will hold both of us."

At that moment, the moon rose straight over the moon pool. The water was still covered pretty securely, but they could see the tell-tale bubbles and lights that came on a full moon. The bubbles and lights that meant it was that time of the night when mers were created.

"No!" Cleo lunged toward Lewis.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Cole's tone became chilling as he pushed Lewis a hair closer to the edge. "It's your call. Think that covering will hold? Let's test it. 1... 2..."

"Ok! Stop!" Bella shouted. "Let Lewis go, I'll take the cover off." A wave of her hand later and the moon pool water sparked and shimmered like normal.

"You know what?" Cole raised his eyebrows, a shadow crossing his face. "I wouldn't mind a little company anyway. Shall we?"

Cole leapt out into the water, one hand tightly clamped onto Lewis's elbow, dragging him behind him. It was like everything was happening in slow motion. The group reacted with horror, not as Cole fell into the water, but as Lewis tipped over to follow him. Lewis's other hand reached behind him desperately for anything that could stop him.

Quick as lightning, it was Zane who reached Lewis just in time. He caught his free hand in between his two hands and he held onto him tightly. Cleo was next, wrapping her arms around Zane's waist. The rest of the group reacted a split second later, joining to form a chain of hands.

Lewis was caught just in time. He hung, suspended out over the water for a split second. The hem of his shirt soaked into the pool as he let out a long sigh of relief.

"Pull!" Zane instructed the group.

Lewis was instantly wrenched back onto his feet by the strength of his friends. He collapsed, shaking, into Cleo's arms. Cleo held him tightly to her, comforting him.

Cole sputtered to the surface a second later. "It didn't work!" He shouted angrily.

No one told him that it took several hours for the magic to work, and that by this time tomorrow he would probably be a merman. Any lingering sympathy they may have felt for Cole had disappeared the second he had thrown Lewis toward the moon pool. One by one, the group filed out of the cavern. Cole called after them, but they ignored the sound. They just left him there to fend for himself, cutting off all connection.

Hand in hand, the couples piled into Will's boat. It was a big vessel with a relatively large deck. Will powered it out to sea and then cut the engine off, letting it drift under the stars. The couples laid out beside each other on the wooden deck of the boat. Wordless, the six of them just listened to the waves as they lapped against the side of the boat. No one knew where they were and there wasn't a camera in sight.

"Promise we'll do this at least once every two weeks." Cleo spoke up. "Spend time together just us."

"Promise." Rikki murmured.

"Me too." Bella echoed.

"Let's stay out here til morning." Lewis murmured into Cleo's neck, holding her tightly.

"Fine by me." Will realized how tired he was.

Zane played absently with Rikki's hair as the pair lay there together. "I can see the big dipper." He whispered.

"Me too." Rikki's eyes weren't even open as she began to drift to sleep.

"I'm so glad this is over." Zane spoke softly. "No more hiding, right?"

"Wrong." Rikki spoke more clearly. "Give it a few weeks before we go public as a couple."

"What?" Zane said, crestfallen. "Rikki, everyone knows about Cleo and Lewis and Bella and Will, why won't you let me be a part of this?"

"Because you can't handle it." Rikki said sleepily, losing the battle with the night. "I don't want you to have to."

Zane opened his mouth to argue but stopped. This was a conversation for another time. Right now he just wanted to enjoy the night there on the boat with his closest friends and the girl he was in love with.

Cole cursed under his breath as he slogged his way out of the moon pool. What had he done wrong? Was Laurie smarter than he looked, were they bogus directions?

Cole tramped his way through the forest towards the shore. As he expected, the boat was gone. Cole flopped down onto the sand angrily. He had no phone and no way to get back to the mainland. Now it was just a waiting game until the next ship came close enough to hear him yell.

The sun rose, hot and scalding, over the sand the next morning. Cole blinked a few times, his eyelids stinging with sunburn, as he remembered where he was. He sat up and stretched his arms over his head. His clothes cracked, hardened by the dried salt water.

Cole pulled himself to his feet and wandered down to the shore, anxious to cool his burning skin. He stood at the edge of the tide, scanning the surface of the ocean for any boat that might serve as his rescue. He didn't see anything for miles.

The water rolled up over his feet, cooling them instantly. Cole froze. It felt more than cooling. The water just felt like... _more_.Suddenly Cole didn't want to be in the water anymore. It freaked him out. He took a few hasty steps backwards, but tripped before he could get far enough away.

It was then that it happened. It wasn't a pleasurable sensation. A tight, prickly feeling pulled across both of his legs. Cole's face crunched as he watched what was happening to his legs.


	23. Fame

The six friends woke up late the next morning at various locations in Will's boat shed. Since it was painfully close to the water they'd been able to dash inside without attracting any unwanted attention. They'd passed out within minutes of their arrival. Will and Bella were nestled warmly in the lofted twin bed, Cleo and Lewis were wrapped around each other on the couch, and Rikki and Zane had taken up the over-sized arm chair in Will's study room.

It was Bella who awoke first. She carefully reached over Will for the television remote, quietly pushing the power button. The television flashed to life, broadcasting the local morning news.

"It's about us." Bella murmured, shocked. "Cole either hasn't turned or he hasn't gone public with it yet."

"Hmmm?" Will sleepily rubbed his eyes. "Did you say something?"

Wordlessly, Bella gestured at the television screen. Will immediately noticed the same thing she had.

"Where's Mr. Celebrity?" Will's brow knit together. "He's bound to have turned by now, isn't he?"

"I would think so." Bella confirmed. "Who cares? Maybe the pool didn't change him?"

"Maybe." Will didn't seem convinced, but he didn't want to waste any more brain power on Cole.

"Goooooood morning." Lewis stretched his arms up high over his head as he yawned. "What a night."

"You said it." Cleo wrapped her arms around Lewis's chest as she walked up behind him. "My wonderful, _human,_ boyfriend."

"You got that right." Lewis grinned.

The pair stopped walking when they noticed the television. Cleo frowned as she watched.

"No Cole?" She turned to Bella.

"No Cole." Bella answered simply.

Rikki breezed through the room a second later, hastily pulling her hair into a ponytail on top of her head. "Hey guys." She said quickly as she hurried to the front door. "Bye guys." The door swung shut behind her with a snap.

"See you later!" Cleo called after her, though she didn't think Rikki heard her.

Zane stumbled into the living room a second later. He wasn't nearly as alert as Rikki.

"Morning." He mumbled, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Where is your girlfriend off to so early?" Will poured water into the coffee maker and set it to brew.

"Some interview or something." Zane said grimly. "I'm not allowed to go."

The rest of the group exchanged awkward looks with one another. Of their whole group, the only one of them still being kept a secret was Zane. No one wanted to defy Rikki's wishes, but no one quite agreed with her either. After all, it _was_ Zane who had caught Lewis last night. No one thought it was particularly fair for him to have to keep hiding.

"Well, we aren't there either." Will said, attempting to sound casual. "Don't think on it."

"Easy for you to say." Zane said bitterly. "Everyone knows you're attached to Bella. You don't have to hide out from anyone."

Rikki hurried down the street, inwardly prepping herself to deal with the reporters that had been staking out the marine park ever since she'd revealed herself. She had an interview planned for later that morning, but she had promised Laurie she would stop by and give him all the details from last night first. They'd given him a quick call to let him know they were all alright, but had been too tired to go into much detail. Now Rikki pushed her way through the waiting crowd of photographers, ignoring their shouted questions about Dillon Chase.

Eventually Rikki made it to the main staff entrance, swiped her key card, and escaped the camera flashes. She took a moment to let out a long sigh, appreciating the silence, before she continued down the long hall to Laurie's office.

Rikki knocked twice an pushed the door open without waiting for an answer. She took two steps inside the office and froze.

Cole stood inside, his arms wrapped tightly around himself as if he were trying to hold his insides together. His shoulders were hunched over and he looked sickly pale. Both Cole and Laurie looked up at Rikki when she walked in, their faces unreadable.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Rikki's voice was quiet with anger. "How dare you show your face-"

"Rikki." Laurie stood, trying to calm her down. "Cole just got here himself. He wants to talk to the two of us."

"Did you know what he was planning to do?" Rikki turned on Laurie. "Do you know what he tried to do to Lewis? Laurie, he tried to throw Lewis in the moon pool along with him. Right as the moon was overhead. Did you know that?"

Laurie's eyes flashed with anger at the information. "I knew he wanted to change but I didn't know he knew how to do it." Laurie said quickly. "And I swear I had no idea he would put Lewis in that kind of danger." Laurie shot a withering look at Cole, who cringed slightly. "He called me this morning and said he had to speak with me. I told him if he wanted to speak to me he could come in and talk to both of us."

"So talk." Rikki shot at Cole. She didn't even want to look at the boy.

Cole shrunk away from Rikki's harsh tone. He looked miserable, all sallow and pale. "I..." His voice trailed off.

Rikki tapped her foot impatiently. "Well?" She smirked. "There are a whole slew of reporters out there, I'm sure they can't wait to meet you."

"No." Cole backed against the wall as if he were afraid of the door. "No, I don't want to see them."

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Rikki asked shrilly. "You _wanted_ the fame, Cole. Go on out and get it."

Cole shrunk back in fear. "Please, please don't say anything to anyone."

"That's rich. Really." Sarcasm dripped from Rikki's voice as she paced angrily. "How about I chuck a bottle of water at you after we walk out. I'll bet I won't be the one they're taking pictures of."

"No! No..." Cole sounded genuinely terrified, fear plastered across his face. "Don't! I don't ever want to do that again!"

"Do what?" Laurie's brow furrowed.

Rikki's face lit up with realization. "You changed." It was a statement, not a question, and it hung in the air for several seconds.

Cole swallowed hard, trying not to think about it. "Yes, I did." He managed to choke out. "I changed this morning."

For the first time Rikki found herself genuinely curious. "And why didn't you go public with it? You wanted the fame."

"I know I did." Cole snapped back, sounding more alive at that moment than he had the whole time. "You don't have to tell me what I wanted."

"Well you obviously need a reminder." Rikki shot back. "Because you're hiding in Laurie's office instead of lining up your next photo shoot."

The pair stared daggers at each other in silence for several seconds before Laurie spoke.

"There's plenty of time for arguing." Laurie tried to sound diplomatic. "I think we should listen to Cole explain why he's come here."

Rikki sniffed indignantly before raising an eyebrow at Cole. "So? Talk."

Cole hesitated, looking to Laurie nervously before speaking.

"I-I... took your f-files out of your cabinet." Cole stuttered. "Specifically, the file on how to become a merman."

Laurie closed his eyes for a moment in silent acceptance. He couldn't believe how arrogant he'd been to think no one would find his notes. Letting out a long sigh, his eyes reached Cole's. "Go on."

"I..." Cole's eyes flickered anxiously back and forth between Laurie and Rikki. He spoke at lightning speed. "I don't want this. Listen, I thought I did, but... I just don't. I don't want to be this way." He finished with a great sigh, as if he had just unloaded a huge secret. "I want to go back to normal."

"Ha!" Rikki's voice slice through the air. "It doesn't work that way, genius." She practically spat out. "You wanted this, you got it. There's no going back."

Cole's face drained of any color he had remaining. "You mean- I mean, I thought I could go back in the water at the next full moon and it would, I dunno, reverse itself."

Rikki laughed bitterly. "Think again, champ." She marched to stand directly in front of Cole. "You're stuck this way. Congratulations." Rikki couldn't stand to look at his face for a moment longer. She spun on her heel and marched to the door. "Laurie, as always it's been a pleasure." She gave Laurie a tight smile before pulling the door open and breezing through it. She walked confidently towards the exit, recognizing the crowd of photographers that had targeted her earlier.

"Rikki! Can we ask you a few questions?" A particularly eager young reporter shouted to her.

Rikki stalked over to him and cupped her hand around his ear, leaning in closely. "Want to know something?" She whispered. "In a bit, a blonde boy will walk out of this building. Throw some water on him and see what happens." With that, Rikki stood, smirking, and went on her way.

Zane let himself into the back door of his home. Once inside he stood, taking in the quiet house. There hadn't been a single reporter waiting at his door, but he'd snuck in through the back out of habit. He walked into the living room and absently flipped on the television, flopping down into the comfy armchair right in front of it. He sat there with his eyes closed for several minutes, massaging his temple.

"And now for our 'Smokin' Hot' couple of the week." A male voice sang from the tv. "We've had our eye out for the hottest couple to grace our tabloids and we're excited to bring you the exclusive. Dillon Chase was caught checking out engagement rings yesterday and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what girl has made _waves_ with him. Check out the latest pictures of Dillon and Rikki, caught by our own Lyndz Victor. Lyndz, over to you!"

Zane's eyes pulled open tiredly as he watched a young reporter excitedly showing off some blurry screen shots of Dillon Chase and some nondescript blonde girl in a jewelry store. He fumbled for the TV remote and switched it off a second later. He didn't need a reminder of the fact that he wasn't allowed to be in love with Rikki in front of people. He'd only just gotten her back, it was torture to have to hide it from the world. Zane's jaw set firmly. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed it quickly.

"Hey Laurie." Zane spoke quickly. "Can you tell me where Rikki's interview is being held? Yeah, the one she's headed to now. No reason, just wondering." Zane listened for a few seconds. "Thanks Laurie. Take care of yourself."

Clicking the phone shut, Zane stood and briskly marched to the counter for his keys. A second later he was out the door and on his way, his mind made up.

Cleo and Bella gave eachother a quick hug before walking out of the boat shed, flanked by Lewis on Will on either side. Their destination was the cafe, after a quick call to Laurie. Rikki was having a question and answer session with a hugely popular teem magazine. They could have gotten a car, but they figured they might as well get used to the publicity thing. They walked with their heads held high, knowing it would only be a matter of seconds before they were spotted by someone. Sure enough, they hadn't even made it a block before the shouting started.

"Hey! It's Cleo and Bella!" A jogger froze in her tracks, mouth agape. "Can I get your autograph for my kids?"

Bella and Cleo smiled for pictures and signed their names what felt like a million times. Even Lewis and Will were sort of celebrities. People had tons of questions for them about what it was like to date a mermaid, and girls were practically drooling over the boys' good looks.

It was a pleasant crowd, more interested in getting pictures and asking questions than they were in causing trouble for the four teenagers. Eventually Lewis put up his hands, a friendly smile on his face.

"Thank you for your questions, but I'm afraid we really need to be going." He said amicably.

The crowd followed them as they walked, but didn't try to stop them. They seemed genuinely interested in the girls' lives, but didn't push it.

"This really isn't so bad." Bella murmured to Cleo as they walked.

Cleo nodded in agreement. "Too bad they can't all be this nice."

"Right?" Bella giggled a bit as they made their way to the cafe.


	24. Heroes

First of all, let me say how tickled I was that so many of you guessed what Zane was on his way to do. I wasn't trying to be too subtle, but I loved how many of you knew he was on his way to make a move! Thanks again to all who read this story, all who review, and everyone I get a chance to message with. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p>It took a bit longer than usual, but the girls made it to the familiar cafe without incident. They stood outside looking at their favorite hangout for a few moments. It was amazing how much it had changed in just a few short weeks. Since it was the original place Rikki had revealed herself, it had become a sort of mecca for mermaid enthusiasts. It was a favorite place for reporters to update their stories and for hosts to hold interviews. Rikki must not have arrived yet, because the eager onlookers did not have their nosed pressed against the windows. They were simply sitting outside, enjoying the warm sun happily. The people huddled outside burst to life as Bella and Cleo walked up.<p>

Bella and Will split from Lewis and Cleo, deciding it was easier to navigate through the crowds in pairs than it was as a single unit. They posed briefly for pictures but made it to the front entrance as quickly as they could manage.

"Oh my gosh." The gentleman manning the front door stood there with his mouth hanging open just like a teenage girl. "You're Bella and Cleo." The names rolled off his tounge as if they were one word.

"May we come in please?" Cleo smiled at him sweetly.

Wordlessly, the bouncer unlocked the door and swung it open, holding it for them to walk through.

"Thank you!" Bella patted his arm as the four of them walked inside.

The man looked after them, still frozen with excitement. "You- you're quite welcome!" He managed to choke out after a few seconds.

The cafe had already been set up for the interview. Two chairs had been placed on the stage. The dining area had been converted into a makeshift audience section. Rows of chairs were lined up so that they could be filled with eager audience members. Standing off to the side of the stage was a young reporter being attended to by a makeup person. Her eyes lit up when she saw Bella, Will, Cleo, and Lewis.

"No way!" She squealed excitedly. "You're, I mean, you four are-"

"Yup, we sure are." Lewis said easily. "Do you mind if we watch the taping today?"

The girl's eyes flew open. "Watch?" She laughed nervously. "Of course not! Oh wow, is there any chance we could get you four to join us? I'm sure Rikki would love it, you're all close friends, right? And-" Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. "We have an extra special surprise guest joining us in a bit, Rikki will be so excited!"

The small group of friends exchanged nervous looks.

"Surprise guest?" Cleo raised an eyebrow.

"Are you three thinking what I'm thinking?" Will spoke quietly.

"Cole." Lewis muttered under his breath.

Bella nodded. "It has to be. Who else could it be?"

"Uh, miss..." Will stepped forward, offering the girl a warm smile.

"Leah." She giggled as her eyes took in Will's perfectly sculpted arms. "My name is Leah."

"Leah." Will walked a little closer. "Who is this extra special surprise guest?"

"Oh I can't tell you that, that would spoil it!" Leah's voice wavered as she admired Will's deep tan and slightly crooked smile. She sighed deeply, not trying to hide her admiration. "I mean, it is you four, it's not like you're going to tell anyone, right?"

"Of course not." Will shook his head. "Who is it?"

"Oh alright." Leah couldn't contain herself. "We're reuniting Rikki with her lover, Dillon Chase!"

Cleo and Bella instantly burst out into laughter, relief evident on their faces.

"Ah, I see." Will tried to hide his smile. "That's, ah, that's a wonderful surprise. I'm sure your viewers will be thrilled."

"It's Dillon." Lewis chuckled to himself. "After all we've been through that hardly seems like anything to be upset about."

"Seriously." Cleo agreed. "I doubt Rikki will even care. This Cole thing makes Dillon Chase look like an annoying gnat or something."

"We'll find out in just a second." Bella nodded towards the door. "Here comes Rikki now."

"What are you guys doing here?" Rikki asked distractedly as she waved to a lady holding a clipboard.

"How did we beat you?" Will raised an eyebrow. "We left almost an hour after you did."

"Ah." Rikki nodded. "I stopped by Laurie's office to talk to him and you'll never guess who was there."

"Yes?" Cleo stepped forward eagerly.

"Rikki! You made it." A man in a suit approached the group. "I'm Mark King, producer of the show this interview will be featured on. You must be Rikki's friends?" He turned to the rest of the group and immediately flushed crimson. "You'reBellandCleo." He said in a rush, excitement spreading across his face.

"Yep." Bella nodded. "Do you mind if we watch today?"

"Watch?" Mark. sputtered. "Is there any chance we can convince you to join in?"

"Umm..." Cleo thought. "It's fine with me."

"Me too." Bella agreed. "Just let us know when you need us."

"Fantastic." Mark grinned brightly. "What about you two?" He looked to Lewis and Will. "It would be so great to get the point of view of the boyfriends."

"Well," Lewis cleared his throat indignantly. "I actually did all of the scientific data recording on the girls, I've recorded ever piece of information of them for years so..."

"So you pretty much know everything there is to know about the mermaids." Mark finished eagerly.

"Well, yeah." Lewis said proudly. Now that everyone was out in the open he might as well get recognized for at least a bit of all of his hard work.

"Amazing." Mark's face couldn't have been any brighter. "And you four don't mind sitting down for a quick interview?"

"Sure, just let us know when you need us." Cleo said easily.

Mark's face looked like Christmas had come early. "Fantastic!" He squealed like a little girl. "Make yourselves at home for now. Then we'll get you all into makeup and hair. This is so cool!" He hurried away.

"You guys seem to be taking to fame rather well." Rikki grinned at her friends.

"Ok, now get back to it." Bella pushed. "Who was in Laurie's office?"

Rikki pulled the group back into the corner of the cafe. She spoke in hushed tones, keeping an eye peeled for anyone listening. "_Cole._"

The small group exploded with excitement.

"What was _he_ doing there?"

"Is he a merman?"

"Why isn't he on the news already?"

"What was he talking to Laurie for?"

The questions flew at Rikki rapidly, not allowing her any time to answer them.

"Guys, guys." Rikki held her hands up. "Just listen." She swallowed hard and took a deep breath before speaking. She relayed the story of her meeting with Cole quickly, making sure to tell the group everything she could remember.

They listened, shocked expressions on each of their faces as they took it all in. Their eyes widened as Rikki finished her recollection.

"No way." Cleo spoke in a monotone voice.

"He hates it?" Bella's eyebrows knit tightly together. "Why? It's what he wanted?"

"I'm glad he hates it." Lewis spoke up quietly. "He deserves to be miserable."

The group silently exchanged glances, wordlessly agreeing with Lewis's words.

"Where is Cole now?" Will spoke up after a few seconds.

"I have no idea." Rikki shrugged. "I left him in Laurie's office. And..." A guilty look crossed her face. "I may have tipped off the paparazzi about him."

"Well he must still be at the marine park because he still isn't on the news." Lewis kept an eye on the television in the corner of the cafe.

"Lewis is right." Cleo agreed.

"Hey guys." Mark King was back, accompanied by three very eager looking assistants. "Holly, Carly, and Jo are here to take you all back to hair and makeup. We'll get you all miked and work on a line up and then we'll get started! It _is_ a live recording, so go ahead and warm up your voices and any talking points you're interested in! We'll begin recording in exactly..." He checked his watch. "Forty-five minutes, so don't dawdle!" He bustled away excitedly, leaving the three girls to guide the group to the makeup room.

Rikki, Will, Bella, Cleo, and Lewis chattered happily as they followed the girl named Carly down the hall. Holly and Jo followed along with them, completely awestruck by the group.

"Will and Lewis, you'll be right in here." Jo will be taking care of you." Holly directed them into a mirrored room and held the door open for them to walk through. "The rest of you can follow me this way." She continued down the hall, pausing outside a blue door and thinking for a moment. She turned to face Cleo and Bella thoughtfully. "No offense dears, but when you left the house this morning you didn't know you were going to be on live national television. Let's get you something a bit cuter to wear."

"No argument here." Bella muttered to Cleo as they looked into the room, which was filled with rack after rack of dresses.

"I trust you." Holly stepped aside, letting the girls walk in. "Pick something cute, not to bright."

Bella and Cleo happily skipped inside the costume room, accompanied by Carly.

"And you, Rikki, will be in here for a bit." Holly pointed at a door at the end of the hall. Take a seat, Jen will be with you as soon as she finishes up.

"Thanks." Rikki said brightly as she pushed the door open. Her heart immediately sank. "Oh. It's you."

Dillon Chase swung around in his swivel chair to face her. "Hey, baby, how are you?" He asked with a dazzling smile.

Rikki groaned and took the only other chair in the room. "What are you doing here?" She asked unenthusiastically.

"Being interviewed with my girlfriend, dearest." Dillon winked. "Surprised?"

"Nauseated." Rikki smirked.

"Aw, come on. I'm not that bad." Dillon slid his chair closer to Rikki's and reached for her hand.

"Not that bad?" Rikki pulled her hand away. "You set me up for a photo op." She spat out at him.

"That's what you're mad at me for?" Dillon smirked. "They would have photographed us together eventually, I just set it up to be on my terms."

"Exactly! _Your_ terms!" Rikki crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "You sold me out."

"Now now, sweetie." Dillon said condescendingly. "That's no way to talk to your boyfriend."

"Well then it's a damn good thing you aren't my boyfriend." Rikki said sullenly.

"I think that's where you're wrong." Dillon shot back. "That's why I'm here, _sweetie._ To be interviewed with the love of my life. You."

"Don't hold your breath." Rikki threw him a withering look.

"That's fine." Dillon said, unconcerned. "A story about how heartbroken I am because you dumped me will get _way_ more publicity anyway."

Before Rikki could open her mouth to retort, a short woman with black hair popped in through the door. "Sorry I'm late!" She said apologetically. "I'm Jenn. Let's get the two of you ready for television!"

It didn't take long for Rikki to have her hair and makeup perfectly styled for the interview. She breezed out of the room as soon as Jenn stepped back, not sparing a backward look for Dillon.

Before long the whole group was dressed, made up, miked, and ready to go. Leah went over the order for the show. Will and Lewis were to be interviewed first, followed by Cleo, Bella, and Rikki together. After Leah interviewed the three mermaids, Rikki was to stay on set and be 'surprised' by Dillon Chase. Rikki tried to get out of the last part, but quickly realized it would just be easier to go along with it and get it over with.

Lewis and Will excitedly took their seats on the couch opposite Leah as they listened to a few last minute instructions. They froze as they waited for the five second warning, then the red light lit up on the camera and they were live.

The girls watched, amused, as the boys enthusiastically answered questions about the girls. Leah threw them simple questions at first, mostly about what it was like to date mermaids. She then asked Lewis a few more questions about the science of mermaids, which he answered eagerly.

Lewis and Will couldn't believe how _fun_ this was. Leah seemed much more interested in the social aspect of the mermaids than anything else. It surprised the boys how much of a relief it was to talk about the girls and not have to worry about keeping anything a secret. Well, almost anything. They had all agreed not to say anything about Mako Island, which was plenty easy to remember.

"The camera _loves_ them." Mark King whispered excitedly to the girls.

"And they love it back." Bella muttered to Cleo. They laughed quietly as they watched their boyfriends smile for the camera.

Too soon, Leah was wrapping things up with the two boys. She shook both of their hands and thanked them for being on the show. The three froze for a moment until the red light blinked off, then relaxed.

Lewis caught Cleo around the waist, squeezing her tightly. "I. Love. You." He said playfully.

"I love you too." Cleo laughed. "I can't breathe!"

Lewis squeezed her tighter for a second before releasing her. "Can we do that again? That was fun." His eyes flickered back onto the set.

"You'll have plenty of opportunities to do that again." Bella assured him. "Trust me." She hugged Will tightly.

"Girls? Are you ready?" Mark gestured for them to take their seats on the couch.

"And we're live in three... two... one..." The cameraman mouthed the last number as he directed Leah to begin speaking.

"We're back!" Leah said brightly. "We're here with Rikki, Cleo, and Bella for the interview of the year!"

Things continued on, much like they had for Lewis and Will. The questions were simple to answer, concentrating mostly on how the girls had managed to keep the secret over the years. The girls laughed as they regaled Leah with story after story of the close calls they'd had over the years.

"Cleo barely made it, she had to hide in the coat closet!" Rikki laughed as she remembered the incident.

"You girls have really had such amazing lives." Leah said happily as the laughter died down. "Now talk to me about your boyfriends." She turned to face Cleo. "Tell me about Lewis."

"Lewis has known my secret from the very beginning and he's kept it ever since. He never thought it was gross, I think he thought it was pretty neat." Cleo said with a small smile. "He's always been there for us, no matter what. He's the love of my life." She finished sappily.

"That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard." Leah rested her chin on her fist as she sighed. "It's so great that you two have one another." She turned to face Bella. "And you and Will? How did he handle finding out what you were?"

"Ah, well Will tricked me, actually." Bella stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend, who stood watching just off camera. She turned back to Leah, grinning. "He poured water on me and followed me when I jumped into the canal.

"Wow." Leah breathed, her eyes eager. "How did he handle the news?"

"He was great." Bella said honestly. "He listened to me explain everything an he did a pretty great job at accepting it. He's been supportive every second. I don't know what I'd do without him.

"That's so romantic." Leah said with a smile. She turned to face Rikki last. "And Rikki. Tell me, we all know it was a big coverup, but have you _ever_ had romantic feelings for Lewis McCartney?"

"No!" Rikki answered quickly. "I mean," She grinned sheepishly, "No, we've always just been friends. He's really done a lot to help protect our secret..." Rikki let the sentence fade as she thought about the other person who'd done so much to protect the. She thought of everything Zane had done for them over the years. Then she thought about how Zane had caught her that first night she revealed herself, how he had allowed her to hide in his house that night. Rikki sighed sadly, feeling more than a little bit guilty that she hadn't allowed him to come along today.

"I'll bet I know why you're tongue tied." Leah said, her eyes lighting up. She turned to face the camera. "And in just a minute we'll be back with our _surprise_ guest! I know we're all excited!" They froze as the light on the camera faded, then stood and stretched

Cleo and Bella hurried off the set and into the arms of their boyfriends as they settled in to watch. Rikki tried to make her face look somewhat happy, but didn't quite succeed. Before too long Mark was gesturing for Leah and Rikki to take their seats. The camera lit up and the girls smiled brightly.

"And now, the moment we've all been waiting for" Leah squealed. "Dillon Chase!"

Rikki groaned inwardly as Dillon Chase strutted up onto the set.

"Hello darling." Dillon said with a smirk, leaning in to kiss Rikki on the cheek.

Rikki froze as his lips touched her cheek, but managed not to react.

"Dillon, can you tell us about the first time you met Rikki?" Leah said eagerly.

"I remember it like it was yesterday." Dillon sat back thoughtfully. "She had written me several letters that I never quite had enough time to answer. She sounded so desperate, so eager, eventually I just had to answer." He took Rikki's hand in his. "It was the best decision I've ever made. She may have seemed desperate, but in reality she's the sweetest little girl I've ever met. She needs someone like me to look out for her. A lot of people out there would try to take advantage of her."

Rikki's jaw tightened as she listened to the lie. Without moving a muscle, Rikki sent heat rapidly through her fingers, burning Dillon's hand. He yanked it back quickly, shooting Rikki a look. Rikki gazed back at him innocently. Dillon shook his hand to cool it and then put it in his lap, moving slightly away from Rikki as he did so.

"I bet you take great care of her, Dillon." Leah was saying. "It's so nice that she has someone so experienced to depend on."

"Yeah." Dillon said, slightly distracted but shaking himself out of it. "I'd say she's a pretty luck girl. An I guess I'm lucky too." He added.

"Any chance we an get a kiss here on camera?" Leah said excitedly, her eyes brightening. "Please

"Of course." Dillon stood and held a hand out to help Rikki stand up. "Rikki?"

"No way." Rikki said bluntly. "I mean," she recovered, "I prefer to keep things private."

"Don't be silly _darling." _Dillon said pointedly. "One kiss won't be so bad." He grabbed Rikki by the elbow and pulled her forcefully to her feet. He quickly wrapped both arms around her waist, keeping her from moving away. He held his face so close to Rikki's that she could smell his breath.

"I'm not kissing you." She muttered quietly through gritted teeth.

"Wanna bet?" Dillon muttered back. He roughly placed one hand behind Rikki's head and forced her face toward his.

A million ways she could stop him flashed through her brain, but each of them would cause a media sensation. If she openly used her powers to hurt Dillon things would get messy quick. Rikki tried to use all her strength to hold herself away from him, but Dillon was much stronger than she was. Her face was only an inch away from Dillon's when she felt someone grab him and wrench him away from her.

"Excuse me?" Mark King jumped onto the set. "Who are you and what are you doing here."

"I'm Zane." Zane said with the tiniest hint of a smile on his face as he bear hugged Dillon Chase, tightly pinning his arms at his sides and squeezing him tightly. "And I'm here to protect the girl I love." He released Dillon, who stood panting, his hands on his knees. Zane walked over to Rikki and took her in his arms. Rikki smiled in disbelief, unable to move out of shock.

"Hey! She's my girlfriend, you jerk." Dillon tried to pull Zane away.

"One second." Zane winked at Rikki before turning back to Dillon. He pulled back one arm and let it it fly. It connected with Dillon's jaw with a solid 'thunk.' Cleo, Bella, Will, and Lewis burst out into applause as Zane turned back to Rikki.

It was like a scene out of a romance movie. Zane pulled Rikki tightly into his arms. "We're in love. And I'm done keeping quiet about it." His eyes searched Rikki's. With those words, he pressed his lips tightly against hers, kissing her deeply.

Leah stood, frozen, unsure of what to do next. She looked at the cameraman with a confused expression. "Cut?"


	25. Help

The next several minutes flew by in the most wonderful flash Rikki had ever experienced. It was all one great big blur. Zane literally swept her off her feet, holding her in his arms as he kissed her. It was a gesture she would have deemed far too mushy on any other day, but at the moment it was just what she needed. Bella, Cleo, Lewis, and Will hopped up onto the stage, cheering for their friends loudly.

Dillon pulled himself to his feet, rubbing his jaw with a scowl on his face. "This isn't over." He muttered as he stalked away quickly, disappearing down the hall towards the makeup room.

"Keep shooting! Don't you dare cut to commercial!" Mark hissed at the cameraman. "This is _golden._"

The friends couldn't have cared less who witnessing their happiness at that moment. The entire world could have been watching and they would have just kept on celebrating. It was a small victory for them, Zane winning the public battle for Rikki's love, but it was huge at that moment.

"So, um, Zane? Is it?" Leah approached the pair carefully, holding the microphone out in front of her. "I mean," She shook her head. "Of course you're Zane, I remember you from when Rikki first went public. You're her ex?"

"I'm her now." Zane said huskily, his eyes never leaving Rikki's as he held her tightly. Reluctantly, he set her down onto her feet.

Leah held the mic out expectantly. "So..." She cleared her throat awkwardly. "How long have the two of you been in love?"

Zane grinned or just a second, savoring the moment before opening his mouth to speak. The other couples hovered comfortably around the couch, making jokes and offering anecdotes as Zane and Rikki spoke. They spoke easily for almost a whole hour before Mark gave them the signal to wrap things up.

"Wow." Leah breathed into the mic. This was the interview of a lifetime and it had fallen right into her hands. "You have all lived really amazing lives. Thank you so much for being with us today." She smiled brilliantly at the camera. The red light flickered off a moment later.

The room exploded with applause, from the producers to the crew. Leah basked in it, enjoying the attention. The three mermaids and their boyfriends only had eyes for each other as they held onto one another closely.

"Thank you!" Mark practically shouted as he ran to the three couples. "These will be the best ratings the station has had in years!"

"It was nothing." Rikki murmured, looking deeply into Zane's eyes. "Can you call Laurie and tell him we're ready to go home?"

"Absolutely, Miss Chadwick." Mark practically dashed for the phone. "Just a second and we'll have him on his way here."

The three couples walked down the short hall to the makeup and costume rooms, hand in hand.

"I can't _believe_ how much fun that was." Lewis smiled into Cleo's neck as they walked together.

"I can't complain either." Bella laughed as she kissed Will's cheek.

Rikki pushed open the door carefully, looking inside at the empty room. "Where do you think Dillon got to?"

"I don't know and I don't care." Cleo said easily.

"I'm with Cleo on this one." Zane squeezed Rikki's hand in his. "Good riddance."

A short while later the gang had changed back into their own clothes and congregated near the rear exit.

"Laurie should be here soon." Lewis checked his watch. He peeked out the side window carefully. "There is _no_ way I'm stepping a foot out there until I see him pull up."

Everyone nodded in agreement. The hoards of paparazzi were bigger and louder than ever, pushing against the plastic roping that held them away from the walkway.

"Aaaaaand there he is." Lewis's phone bleeped in his hand. "Ready?" He looked to the rest of the group as he put one hand on the doorknob.

There was a collective breath taken in as Lewis pushed the door open. The six young people pushed their way through as blinding lights forced them to shield their eyes. Camera flashes seemed to come from everywhere as they hurried to their waiting car. The boys stood aside, ushering the girls into the vehicle safely before joining them. The shouts of the photographers became muffled as the door shut tightly after them.

"Whew." Bella exhaled loudly. "That wasn't too bad?"

"Actually, no it wasn't." Rikki nestled her head into the crook of Zane's neck. "I think people are starting to get used to us."

"Thanks for picking us up, Laurie." Will called toward the front of the SUV.

"Of course." Laurie called back.

Rikki narrowed her eyebrows. "Hey Laurie, whatever happened with Cole?"

Only silence answered her.

Rikki let a few moments of quiet pass before she spoke up again. "Um, Laurie? Where is Cole?"

Laurie cleared his throat uneasily. "I wanted to talk to you guys about him." He said timidly.

"Where is he?" Rikki pushed, more firmly this time.

"He's still in my office, as far as I know." Laurie answered quickly. "But he's terrified. He could really use some help from you guys."

"Laurie, you have to be kidding." Bella said sourly.

"Yeah, do you have any idea how horrible he's been to us?" Cleo added.

"I never want to see that two faced jerk again as long as I live." Rikki continued.

"Hey!" Laurie shouted, effectively silencing the group. "Just listen for a second."

"Ok." Rikki said sullenly. The others nodded in agreement as they waited for Laurie to speak.

Laurie cleared his throat nervously before speaking. "I've known you all for a long time, right?"

"Yes." Lewis agreed.

Laurie nodded and then continued. "I've known you all for years. Especially you, Cleo." His eyes flickered over to her. "Right?"

Everyone nodded expectantly.

"Ok." Laurie swallowed hard. "Listen. I think you all owe me a favor." He let his gaze fall on each of them in turn before continuing. "I've done nothing but be loyal to you since this all got started." He paused briefly before continuing. "I've been offered heaps of money for candid photos of you guys, and a small fortune for interviews revealing _all_ of your secrets. But I haven't taken anything."

"And you have no idea how much we appreciate that, Laurie." Rikki said sincerely. "You've been really great."

"I know." Laurie muttered. "But you need to listen for a moment." He paused. "You've all lied to me."

His words echoed through the car. They all knew that he was right but no one could bring themselves to speak up.

"You've lied to me almost as long as I've known you." Laurie continued. "And then came the day when I thought you were sharing something amazing with me. And I guess you were, really." Laurie's eyes locked with Cleo's briefly. "But you weren't telling me the whole truth, were you?"

Cleo felt frozen as his eyes bore into hers.

"It wasn't just you. You told me it was, but you were lying." Laurie steered the car easily. "There were three of you."

"You're right." Rikki said quietly.

"But you didn't trust me, did you?" Laurie spoke gently. "You only told me what you thought I needed to know. And through all of this I've done nothing but protect each of you."

Silence seemed to echo through the car at Laurie's words. The three mermaids exchanged guilty glances with one another. Laurie was right and they all knew it. They'd taken advantage of Laurie's friendship and they'd lied to him several times even though he'd given them no reason not to trust him.

"Laurie, you've been amazing. You have no idea how grateful we are-" Rikki began.

"Stop, please." Laurie said easily. "I've forgiven you. I've forgiven you all for the lies. I mean, I really understand why you weren't honest with me, I do. I know that you girls felt you had to keep certain things a secret to protect each other. I'm really not angry with you. I get it." Laurie took a deep breath. "But I think you owe me a favor in return for all of my help. "

"Ok." Bella said slowly. "Name it."

"I want you girls to help Cole." Laurie said simply.

A few seconds of stunned silence passed before anyone reacted.

"What?" Rikki exclaimed.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Lewis sounded disgusted.

Bella cleared her throat. "After what he did to us?"

"Listen, guys." Laurie raised his voice above the shouting.

The group settled back into their seats, disbelieving looks on their faces.

"I know what he put you through. But I kind of understand why he did." Laurie swallowed before continuing. "I do, I get it. I know where he's coming from."

"What?" Rikki couldn't help but shriek. "He used us for fame, he tried to black mail us-"

"And you don't think I haven't been at least a little tempted to do the same?" Laurie interrupted.

"What?" Lewis whispered.

The silence echoed through the car before Laurie continued.

"It's really tempting, ok?" Laurie sounded stressed as he spoke. "I could have made millions of dollars by exposing you, Cleo. Easily. But I didn't. I didn't because you're my friend. But I can't pretend the thought never crossed my mind. Look..." Laurie let out a long sigh. "The thought of fame and fortune makes us all do stupid things."

"Yeah, but Laurie-" Zane started.

"All I'm asking-" Laurie held up a hand to silence him. "Is that you talk to him. Calm him down a bit. Show him the ropes, just a little. Then leave him to it. That's all."

"I'm not sure we can do that, Laurie." Cleo said bitterly.

"It's all I'm asking for." Laurie said calmly. "After all I've done for all of you without asking for anything, I think you owe me this."

"Why?" Will asked glumly.

"I understand him." Laurie said after a pause. "Who knows? Maybe I would have acted the same way if I was younger."

Lewis took a long breath before he spoke. "Fine. We'll do it."

"What?" Cleo swatted her boyfriend on the arm. "We most certainly will not!"

"Yes, we _will._" Lewis said quietly. "It's the only thing Laurie's asked us for. We need to do what he wants."

Cleo read Lewis's serious expression, taking it in as best she could. "Um, ok." She said meekly. "Where is he? Cole?"

"He's still at the marine park in my office hiding out." Laurie steered the car easily as he spoke.

"And you're taking us there now, I assume?" Zane spat.

"I just figured you would be willing to honor my only request." Laurie grinned meekly at the back seats.

"And you were right." Rikki said firmly. She looked to her friends. "Whether we want to or not, Laurie's done a lot for us. We owe him this."

"I guess so." Bella muttered.

The car right went smoothly after that. Laurie steered the car easily into the marine park entrance, swiping his ID badge as he drove through the guarded entrance. They pulled into a small garage, waiting for Laurie to pull the external garage door closed before they stepped timidly out of the vehicle.

"He's through here." Laurie walked briskly to a small door a little further into the garage. He held the door open, stepping aside to let the group walk in before him.

They paused before they entered, looking at each other uneasily.

"Do we all have to go in?" Lewis asked.

A few moments of silence passed before Rikki spoke up.

"I'll go in. I'll talk to him." She said unenthusiastically.

"And I will too." Cleo volunteered.

Bella looked to the girls and then back to Will. "If you need me I'll be glad to join you, but if it's ok I think I'll wait out here with the boys." Bella's fingers wrapped around Will's as she spoke, tightening around his hand gently.

"Fine by me." Rikki shrugged. She turned to Cleo with a forced grin. "Shall we?"

Cleo and Rikki stepped quietly into the small office where Cole sat in a chair facing the wall. He didn't look up at the girls as they entered the room. In fact, he didn't move at all. His face was simply blank, expressionless, as he stared at the white wall in front of him.

"Cole?" Rikki took a seat in the chair beside him. Cleo remained standing with her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Rikki waited impatiently for an answer. "Hello?" She waved a hand in front of his face.

Cole blinked absently. "What?" He said bitterly, his face pulled into a scowl.

"Hey, don't you get rude with us." Rikki said sassily. "We're here to help you."

"Only because Laurie made you." Cole shot a sideways look at Rikki.

"And so what if he did?" Cleo spoke up. "You should be glad we care enough about Laurie to do this because, Cole, you definitely don't deserve it."

"Don't you think I know that?" Cole exploded out of his seat, pacing angrily across the room, clutching his hair in his fists as he walked. "I get it, ok?" He turned suddenly to face the girls, a panicked expression on his face. "I screwed up. I got too full of myself. And now look at what I've done to my life." He sank onto the floor, deflated. "So thanks, I guess, for coming to talk to me. But I don't want to talk to you."

"Oh, come on!" Rikki stood up, angrily. "Where do _you_ come off taking an attitude with _us_? Cole, you got exactly what you wanted. If you don't like it, tough. But don't you dare get angry at _us_ for for doing just what you wanted us to do."

"I'm furious with myself." Cole said quietly. He looked up at Cleo, speaking to her gently. "I'm sorry, Cleo. I think I'm most sorry to you. I never meant to force you to go public." Cole swallowed hard and spoke timidly. "I fell in love with you, Cleo. Well," He shrugged. "I _think_ I fell in love with you. I guess I thought I had a chance or something. Knowing your secret when no one else did made me feel special, important. I've never really felt that way before."

Silence fell on the three as they looked at each other. Cleo looked away, clearly at a loss for words. A slight blush rose to her cheeks.

Rikki quickly broke the silence. "That's it?" She said incredulously. "You never felt _special_ and so you decided it was a good idea to blackmail us?"

"I don't know what I was thinking." Cole shook his head slightly. "I've never wanted to be a merman. You know, I don't even like swimming."

"You will now." Cleo spoke up quietly. She threw Rikki an uncomfortable look before continuing. "I hated the water before I was changed. In fact, i couldn't even swim."

"Really?" Cole's face brightened the tiniest bit.

"Really." Cleo laughed just slightly. "Rikki," She looked to her friend. "Could I have a moment with Cole?"

Rikki grabbed Cleo's arm and pulled her to the other side of the room.

"Why?" She hissed into Cleo's ear.

"Just give me a minute." Cleo swatted Rikki's arm gently.

"Fine." Rikki shot Cole an ice cold look. "But keep it short."

Cleo waited for the door to shut behind Rikki before walking over to Cole. "May I?" She gestured to the floor beside the boy.

Cole nodded vaguely. Cleo sat down next to him, holding her knees in tightly to her chest.

"The first time you turned," She began. "How was it?

"Terrifying." Cole said honestly. "I was all alone, I didn't know what was happening. Well, I did know what was happening," He admitted. "I guess I was just surprised. And scared." He turned his head so that he could look Cleo in the eyes.

"I remember that feeling." Cleo said gently. "Changing used to scare me _so_ much. Being completely unable to control your body while it changes into..." Her voice trailed off as the pair sat in silence. Cleo composed her thoughts before opening her mouth to speak.

"Listen, Cole." She spoke easily. "Things will never be the same for you. The only way we've ever found to change back to permanent human form only happens once ever fifty years. You're just going to have to get used to this."

Cole closed his eyes tightly. "I guess I hoped that I could just go back into the moon pool on next month's full moon and change back to normal."

"It doesn't work that way." Cleo placed a hand on Cole's shoulder. "But it does get easier."

"No it doesn't." Cole's voice rose slightly. "I'm a freak. I'm a freak forever."

"Is that what I am?" Cleo blurted out. "A freak?"

"What?" Cole's eyes shot open wide. "No, of course you're not."

"Then neither are you." Cleo sighed. "Look, I'll give you an hour. You and me. Come out to the water with me. I'll work with you, I'll give you a few pointers, I'll help you with the media if you want." Cleo paused before continuing, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing. "But that's it, Cole. After that you're on your own."

Cole's face fell completely. "But why?" He asked desperately. "Can't I be part of your group? You girls have this all figured out, I can't do this on my own-"

"You're going to have to." Cleo interrupted.

"But_ why_?" Cole whispered, looking at Cleo with pleading eyes.

"You tried to hurt Lewis." Cleo said simply. "You tried to do to Lewis something that would have made him miserable. Cole, you did this to yourself. i'm not sure I'll ever be able to completely forgive you for what you almost did to Lewis."

"Cleo, listen, I wasn't thinking." Cole begged. "I didn't mean it, I wish I hadn't-"

"And I believe you." Cleo stood, brushing the seat of her pants. "But Lewis is the love of my life. You're going to have to do this yourself. In fact, you're lucky I'm offering to help you at all."

"And why are you?" Cole's eyes blinked up at Cleo. "Why are you offering to help me?"

"I'm not sure." Cleo reached a hand down to him, helping him to his feet. "I guess you remind me a little bit of myself." She grinned sheepishly. "I never felt special either, not until all this happened."

Cole glanced uneasily at the door. "What do we do now? Rikki told the paps outside about me, about what I am, I'll never make it to the water. Should we just use a pool here?"

"No, too easy for a photographer to sneak in." Cleo answered. "We'll get you to Mako Island." She started for the door.

"No, wait!" Cole caught her elbow, gently stopping her. "How? They all _know_ about me."

"Yes they do." Cleo looked at him steadily. "And they also know about Rikki. An Cole?" Her face became incredibly serious. "They also know about me. And about Bella." Her eyes held onto his firmly. "Whose fault is that?"

Cole tried to answer but he couldn't find the words. Cleo was right. It was his fault she couldn't be a normal girl. All of a sudden he realized just what he had done to Cleo and Bella and he couldn't have felt worse. Cole couldn't hide the guilt on his face.

Cleo pushed open the door. Her friends looked at her eagerly, waiting for an explanation.

"What's _he_ doing out here?" Lewis sputtered.

"With us." Zane added.

"What did you two talk about?" Bella asked.

Cleo held up one hand. "Just trust me, guys. Let's get him out to the car."

"Ok." Laurie said thoughtfully. "I can probably fit my car in the side gate, we can sneak you in that way-"

"No."Cleo said firmly. "Cole is going out the long way with us, the way we came in." She looked to Laurie. "He has to get used to all this at some point. Might as well start now."

"Ah... ok then." I'll pull the car around." Laurie said distractedly as he searched his pockets for his keys. He quickly located them and took off down the hall."

"I'm going to take Cole to Mako." Cleo said quickly to the rest of the group. She immediately held up a hand to quiet them as they began to argue with her.

"I'm going to work with Cole for one hour at Mako Island." Cleo said firmly, trying to ignore the hurt in Lewis's expression. "After that we're done with him. Forever."

It took a little more convincing, but it soon became apparent that Cleo wasn't going to back down. Laurie jogged down the hall a second later.

"The car is out front." Laurie panted.

Rikki and Zane led the group outside, followed by Cleo, Lewis, and Cole. Will and Bella brought up the end of their tiny train.

The paparazzi certainly hadn't diminished in number since they'd been inside. Cameras flashed from every angle as questions were shouted at the group, especially aimed at Cole. the questions came from everywhere.

"Are you really a merman?"

"Did one of the mermaids change you?"

"How long have you been a merman?"

They all ignored the questions as they pushed their way toward the now familiar SUV. Cole found himself blinded by the flashes and deafened by the shouts, but he followed the group dutifully. By what felt like sheer luck, they made it into the vehicle safely.

"And where are we headed now?" Laurie asked.

Everyone silently looked at Cleo, waiting for her to answer.

"Head for the coast." Cleo answered confidently. "Cole and I are headed out to Mako Island."


	26. Power

Hey guys! I am SO sorry it's taken me so long to update, life has been a little hectic. Thanks to everyone who is still reading, I really appreciate all of the messages and reviews. Hope you are all well! This chapter is short but the next one will be longer! :)

* * *

><p>The drive was a short one but it seemed to stretch on for hours in the awkward vehicle. Cole sat, tucked in tightly between Will and Zane. Lewis, Cleo, and Bella sat silently together in the back row and Rikki rode shotgun next to Laurie up front.<p>

Laurie pulled the SUV smoothly up next to Will's boat shed. It was close enough to the water for Cleo and Cole to make it straight to the water without attracting any attention.

Cleo stumbled clumsily out of the vehicle. She turned, waiting for Cole to join her.

Cole peered out nervously from the car. "Are you sure no one's watching?" He stammered.

"Yes, at least for the moment." Cleo answered impatiently. "But we probably shouldn't hang out too long, reporters could come by at any moment. Come on."

"Hey, Cleo," Lewis pushed his head through the doorway. "Are you sure I can't go with you two? I mean, I could meet you out there, maybe I can help some way-"

"Lewis," Cleo interrupted him gently. "Thank you, really, but we won't be long. I'm ok."

"Fine." Lewis's face darkened. He placed a hand on Cole's back and shoved him roughly out of the vehicle. "You two have fun."

Cleo hurried to the car. "Lewis, I-" She began.

Lewis slammed the car door shut with a sharp finality, not waiting for Cleo to finish her sentence.

Cleo closed her eyes briefly, letting out a long sigh. She desperately hoped that one day Lewis would understand why she felt she had to help Cole. She waved to Laurie, indicating for him to pull away, leaving them there alone. Cleo figured that if the paparazzi should come snooping at Will's house it would be a good idea for there to be no car parked outside.

"Ok." Cleo walked briskly to the wooden dock as the SUV disappeared down the road. "Jump in."

Cole looked longingly after the vehicle, wishing he were still seated inside it. "Uh, what?" He finally turned to face Cleo.

"Jump in." Cleo repeated, stepping aside and clearly waiting for Cole to dive off the dock.

Cole meekly stepped up to the edge and peered uneasily into the sparkling water. He gave himself a quick mental pep talk and tried to force himself to move, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to jump.

"I- I can't." He stammered, "I can't do it."

"Yes you can." Cleo stood beside him. "Just jump. It won't be any different from the other times you've changed."

"But I've only changed once." Cole panicked, his eyes slightly wild. "I'm not ready to do it again."

"Once?" Cleo's said in disbelief. "Listen, Cole, you're going to have to change again. Now, in fact." Her eyes darted up to the road. No reporters had appeared yet, but they could show at anytime looking for an interview with Will. Cleo nudged Cole gently toward the edge of the dock.

Cole broke out into a cold sweat. "Can we do this later? Maybe next week?"

"No Cole, now." Cleo said firmly. "Either you jump in or you're getting pushed." She placed a threatening hand on the small of Cole's back.

"Wait, don't push me." Cole darted backwards several feet. "Don't push."

"Ok." Cleo's tone softened slightly. "I'm not going to push you." Her eyes drifted over to Will's boat shed. "Come on." She hurried to the front door followed by a very reluctant Cole.

Cleo quickly located Will's spare key and let them inside, locking the door tightly behind them.

"Why are we in here?" Cole looked around in awe, mesmerized by all of Will's marine paraphernalia.

Cleo walked wordlessly to the sink and carefully filled a plastic yellow bowl with water. She carried the bowl carefully over to Cole, who backed away anxiously. With a sigh, Cleo set the bowl on the counter and put her hands on her hips.

"Ok, Cole." She said confidently. "We can either do this in here once and then swim to Mako or I can toss this water on you, drag you off the dock, and drag you behind me til we get there." Cleo took Cole's wrist firmly in her hands. "Your call."

Cole eyed the bowl of water uneasily. "I... just touch it?"

"Yep." Cleo grinned. "Three... two... one...-" Her voice trailed off as she tightened her grip on Cole's wrist.

Cole squeezed his eyes shut tightly and thrust his hand into the bowl of water. Cleo jumped backwards a bit as water splashed out onto the floor. Cole yanked his hand out of the water as fast as he could manage. He hastily checked himself up and down, running his hands all over himself. His eyes widened with joy as he spun around to face Cleo.

"I'm alright!" He shouted gleefully. "I-... I'm not changing!"

"Cole... you should really sit down..." Cleo counted to ten slowly in her head. "Or it's really going to hurt when you-"

Cole's face froze. He fell to the floor with a plop as a long tail unfurled behind him.

"-Fall." Cleo finished, crouching on the floor next to Cole. "It takes ten seconds for the change to happen."

"Damn it." Cole muttered as he flipped himself over to lay on his back. He took in the changes to his appearance, flipping the tail gently from side to side. "I guess I thought... maybe..." His voice drifted off.

"I used to feel the same way." Cleo spoke up. "No such luck."

"Yeah." Cole stared straight ahead."

"Well," Cleo stood and held a hand out towards Cole, twisting it gently. The water clinging to him instantly flew off and back into the yellow bowl. A second later Cole's legs reappeared. "How did you do that?" Cole gazed up at Cleo in amazement.

"I guess you didn't get all the info you needed from Laurie's research, huh?" Cleo extended a hand to Cole and helped him to his feet. "WE figured it was best not to go public with the fact that we have powers."

"No kidding, powers?" For the first time Cole looked interested.

"Yup." Cleo nodded. "Now come on. We're all warmed up and ready to go now, yeah?"

"So... we're swimming now? All the way to Mako Island?" Cole followed Cleo outside, tripping over his feet as he walked.

"Exactly." Cleo said confidently, marching right up to the edge of the dock.

"But I can't swim as a _merman_ ." Cole freaked out slightly.

"Yes you can." Cleo said patiently. "Now are you going to jump or am I going to have to push you?"

"I'm going to jump." Cole said, completely focused. Impulsively, he reached for Cleo's hand and squeezed it tightly in his.

Barely a second later he jumped off the dock, pulling Cleo into the water with him.

Cleo took a moment to herself to enjoy the cool rush as the water overtook her. She changed forms a seconds later. Then, she almost gasped in pain as Cole's grip on her hand tightly into a vice-like clench. Cole had changed as well and he was floundering as he tried to steady himself.

Hesitantly, Cleo reached out under the water and took Cole's other hand in hers. The pair locked eyes instantly and a few seconds later Cole could feel himself relaxing. Cleo flicked her tail a few times and brought the pair to the surface.

"You've got this." Cleo said firmly, as if she were teaching a child.

Cole nodded, rubbing his thumbs gently over Cleo's knuckles. Hesitantly, he leaned in for a kiss.

"Hey now." Cleo pulled away from him roughly. "I'm helping you, don't you dare try to make this more than it is."

"I'm sorry." Cole's face flushed.

"Good." Cleo nodded. "Now follow me."

Cleo dove under the waves and headed toward the familiar island, making sure Cole stayed close behind her. Minutes later, the pair surfaced in the moon pool.

"So what now?" Cole looked to Cleo, waiting to be given direction.

"First we dry off." Cleo hoisted herself out onto the edge of the pool and held one hand out over her fin. A second later she stood and walked to Cole, who hand finally managed to pull himself out of the water. Cleo dried him quickly and gestured for him to stand.

"Ok, and now?" Cole waited impatiently for his next instruction.

"I think now we have to figure out what your power is." Cleo decided. "We don't want you to accidentally discover it in front of a camera or anything."

"Fair enough." Cole nodded. "And how do we figure out what my power is?"

"Ours were all discovered by accident." Cleo explained. "So I guess we just try a few different things until we figure yours out." She smiled. "And then I'm heading home to Lewis."

"That soon?" Cole pleaded.

"Cole, I only promised you one hour." Cleo checked her watch. "And that'll be up in... about ten minutes. I don't mind spending a little extra time, but then I'll be going home."

"Ok." Cole muttered reluctantly. "So how do we figure this out? My power, I mean."

"Start by holding your hand out over the water." Cleo suggested.

Cole obeyed her.

"Okay, do you feel anything? With the water?" Cleo crouched down beside him on the sand.

"Kind of." Cole said, unsure. He rolled his hand back and forth over the water. Suddenly he pulled back and shot his hand forward as if he were throwing a baseball. A fast one.

A grapefruit sized ball of water flew up from the pool and shot at the wall of the cavern with incredible force, shattering a piece of the rock.

"Whoa." Cleo and Cole murmured in unison.

Cleo turned to look at Cole, her eyes wide. "Um, wow." She laughed nervously. "Did you, um, do that on purpose?"

"Not really, no." Cole seemed shocked. "It just kinda... happened."

"I see." Cleo said uneasily. "Well, why don't you just try it again."

Cole repeated the motion. Once again, water shot at the wall of the cave, this time landing with even more force. Cole shook his hand, looking at Cleo with a smile. "I guess we figured out what my power is, huh?"

"Yeah." Cleo couldn't look away from the cannon ball sized broken chunk of rock that had been broken. "I think it's a good idea if we don't let the press find out about this one."


	27. Escaping

**Hey guys, many thanks for continuing to read. Sincere apologies for the slowness in updating. Hurricane Sandy, a nasty snowy nor'easter, a presidential election, and a nasty case of strep throat have completely kept me from anything remotely creative. I hope everyone is doing well, thanks soooo much for reading! :) There will be one more chapter after this, just to wrap things up.  
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><p>Cleo hated to admit it, but Cole's power scared her a little bit. It was similar to her own, he could move water at will. But Cleo could manipulate water into any shape she wanted. Cole only seemed able to shoot different sized water bullets. Or cannonballs. He could raise the water into the air, but as soon as his fingers twitched the water would zoom into the nearest wall. Cole thought it was the coolest thing ever, but Cleo wasn't convinced.<p>

"Check it out." Cole pulled up the tiniest bit of water and shaped it into a perfect circle. He moved his fingers and the orb shot straight through the wall of the cavern, leaving a perfectly circular hole in the stone. Cole laughed. "Did you see that? This is awesome!"

"Yeah..." Cleo frowned. "Cole, it really is awesome. But you're going to have to be really, really careful. You can _never_ use this power in public. In fact, you should really try not to use it at all."

"What?" Cole stopped trying to raise more water droplets and looked at Cleo. "I mean, I get that I shouldn't use it in public, you guys never use yours in public, but why can't I practice on my own?"

"Cole..." Cleo tried to sound casual. "I know, but ours are completely under our control now. And they're not quite so... extreme." She swallowed. "Or dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Cole furrowed his brow as he turned to face her. "I mean, I _guess_ mine is a little more dangerous than yours."

"Right, exactly." Cleo nodded, relieved that he realized it. "We'll practice, just not in front of the public at all. You've got to be careful, alright? This would really freak out everyone."

"Ok." Cole couldn't keep the disappointment out of his voice. He had finally discovered his power and Cleo didn't seem excited at all, just worried. Cole dropped his hand to his side. He didn't want to upset Cleo, he would practice in the safety of his own apartment.

"And I guess that's it." Cleo happily checked her watch. "I'll be headed back in a few minutes. Do you feel any better now?"

"I do." Cole answered honestly, letting his mouth pull into a small smile. "Thank you."

"No problem." Cleo patted him reassuringly. "Good luck with the press. I guess we'll see you around?"

"Yeah." Cole faced her. "I'll see you around."

Cleo shared a smile with him for a moment. "Don't worry." She said warmly. "Everything will be fine. You'll get used to all this."

"I wish I could believe that." Cole said bitterly.

Cleo squeezed his shoulder tightly before diving into the water and heading off out into the ocean, away from him. She felt sorry that Cole wasn't thrilled about being a merman, but he had done this to himself and he would just have to deal with it.

Lewis paced, checking his watch for the tenth time in the last few minutes.

"She'll be back soon." Zane walked to stand beside his friend, looking out the window with him. "Don't stress."

"Yeah." Rikki joined the pair. "She'll be back any minute."

At that very moment, Laurie's familiar SUV pulled into the driveway. Cameras flashed from the photographers who stood on the sidewalk, anxious for a snap of the mermaid.

"See?" Rikki patted Lewis's shoulder. "Told ya!"

Cleo carefully climbed out of the vehicle and hurried into the house, waving for a few pictures on the way. Lewis hurried to pull open the front door for her. Cleo rushed into Lewis's arms, holding him to her tightly.

"Sorry I'm late." She murmured, wrapping her arms even more tightly around his neck.

"I'm just glad you made it back alright." Lewis smiled brightly. "Where did Cole end up?"

"I left him in the moon pool." Cleo shrugged. "He'll be alright. But Lewis, his _power._" She beckoned for Lewis, Zane, and Rikki to follow her into the living room. The group took their seats on Lewis's oversized couch. "You guys should see what his power is." Cleo's eyes were wide.

She quickly filled in the rest of the group. Bella and Will were staying at the boat shed together, but a quick phone call got them all caught up.

"What do you think Cole will do next?" Rikki asked curiously.

"I have no idea." Cleo held Lewis's hand tightly in her own. "And I don't really care. The world knows about us, the world knows about him. We're all even."

"I'll bet the press is even more excited about him." Rikki reasoned. "A merman seems to have caused more of s sensation than us regular old mermaids."

"Fine by me." Zane chimed in. Zane clicked on the television as they a settled in. His face twisted into a scowl as the screen focused in on a familiar face.

"Dillon Chase." Rikki muttered, her voice dripping with contempt.

"And we'll be right back with Dillon Chase as he talks heartbreak, Rikki Chadwick, and what you _don't _know about mermaids." The interviewer said to the camera before the show went to commercial.

"Ugh, is he _still_ talking?" Cleo groaned.

"Apparently." Zane said glumly before turning to Rikki, a confused look on his face. "He doesn't know about your powers, does he?"

"Nope." Rikki shook her head.

"Or how you guys became mermaids?" Zane continued.

"No, I don't think so." Rikki shrugged. "He just knows that we turn when we touch water."

"Then what in the world could he be talking about now that everyone doesn't know already?" Zane wondered.

"He's probably just running his mouth, using his fifteen minutes of mermaid fame." Rikki said, unconcerned.

The four watched the program, waiting for the talk show to come back on.

"And we're here with the heartbroken Dillon Chase." The pretty brunette said to the camera. "Dillon, tell us about your breakup with Rikki Chadwick." She looked at him sympathetically.

"Well..." Dillon shot the camera a sorrowful look. "I really thought she was going to be the one, Jenny. We had a connection like nothing I'd ever experienced before."

Rikki snorted. "Let's turn this off, he's totally full of crap."

"That's when I realized," Dillon's eye watered. "That she was using mind control on me."

"What?" All for teens shouted at the same time.

"That's right, it seems like mermaids can control our brains." Dillon said meekly. "I was just a fool, easily manipulated."

"That's really terrible." Jenny patted Dillon's shoulder. "But on a brighter note, your career has taken off like never before! I hear you've got your choice of movie roles, everyone wants a chance to work with you."

"That's right!" Dillon immediately brightened. "In fact, I'm happy to announce that I've just taken a role playing-"

Lewis clicked off the television. The four of them sat in silence, disgust clear on their faces.

"Seriously?" Rikki shrieked. "There is absolutely no way anyone will believe him."

"I'm going to call Laurie." Lewis said tiredly, rubbing his temples. "He can give us some advice."

"And I'll call Bella and Will." Cleo sounded just as worn out.

Rikki and Zane were left sitting together on the couch. Zane reached an arm around Rikki's shoulder and pulled her into him tightly. "No one will believe Dillon." Zane kissed the top of her head.

"This is a mess." Rikki said quietly. "I just wish we could get away from all of this."

"So let's do just that." Zane murmured. "Let's get out of here."

"Right." Rikki laughed. "And go where?"

"America, or somewhere in Europe." Zane answered automatically.

"Wait." Rikki sat up, looking hard at Zane. "Are you serious?"

"I've been thinking about it for a little while." Zane said quickly. "Hear me out. Yes, everyone knows who you are, but no one outside Australia has seen you in person, right?" He paused, smiling in anticipation. "Let's get out of here, Rikki. We'll go to another country for a while, lie low, keep things under the radar. Together."

Rikki couldn't help but smile a little as she looked at her boyfriend. "You _are_ serious."

"Yeah I am." Zane held Rikki's hand gently in his as he looked into her eyes.

The pair sat in silence for a while, both lost in thoughts of just leaving this all behind. Rikki forced herself to be realistic.

"Zane, we just got back together." She said practically. "What if we fight again? And what about Bella and Cleo? And come on, do you really think we could keep things so low key that we wouldn't be discovered?"

Zane nodded, processing her words. "Rikki," He spoke slowly. "I have missed you every day we've been apart. I love you, and I always will. Do you love me?"

Rikki nodded wordlessly.

"Ok." Zane tightened his grip on Rikki's hand. "As for Cleo and Bella, we'll have to talk to them. See what they have to say. And to answer you, yes, I definitely think we could find somewhere and keep to ourselves enough not to be noticed."

"We've been thinking about doing the same thing." Cleo's voice came from the back of the room. She stepped inside. "Lewis got an offer from a marine institute in California, USA. They've offered a completely private apartment on campus with round the clock security and a pretty awesome paycheck. They want us to come down as soon as possible."

"Wow, that's cool." Rikki said nervously. "And you're going?"

"I think we are." Cleo smiled. "Is... that ok with you two?"

"Of course!" Rikki jumped off the couch and pulled her friend in for a tight hug. "What an awesome opportunity for you and Lewis."

"There are still a lot of details to work out," Cleo tucked her hair behind her ear. "But it seems like a good deal. And it'll be nice to get out of here for a while."

"We are thinking the same thing." Zane stood beside Rikki.

"Bella and Will want to stay here." Cleo's face had a tinge of sadness to it. "We'd all be split up."

"Laurie says not to worry, none of the news outlets are buying Dillon's claim that mermaids can control our minds." Lewis clicked his phone shut and fell onto the couch. "Dillon really didn't think this through. If you could control our minds then you'd be able to make the reporters leave you alone, or really anything else."

"And we clearly can't." Cleo realized.

"I'm sure you'll have to deny it a few times, but Laurie doesn't think it's going to be an issue." Lewis sounded ready to fall asleep.

A knock on the door made the four of the start. Zane hurried to check the peephole before opening the door.

"We just had to be with you guys." Bella said hurriedly as she and Will burst through the door. She made a beeline for Rikki. "Dillon Chase is an idiot." She said firmly before turning to Cleo and Lewis. "I am so proud of you two." She said with a grin. "America will be lucky to have you." Bella took a step back, anticipation glowing on her face. "I have an announcement."

Will stepped beside her, trying to hide his flushed face.

"Will asked me to marry him!" Bella thrust her left hand into the center of the group. A small but sparkling diamond shone on her fourth finger.

Everyone stared at her in stunned silence for a solid ten seconds before they realized just what she had said. And then the cheering began.


	28. Safe

"So I guess this is goodbye." Rikki looked around, into the eyes of her closest friends. She was trying desperately not to choke up at the thought of life without them. Not seeing them everyday, not getting to share her life with them. It was hard, but they all knew this was for the best.

It was their usual group. Bella, Will, Cleo, Lewis, Laurie, Rikki, and Zane stood in a circle at Lewis's home. They only had a few minutes before Cleo and Lewis's taxi would arrive. Shortly after that Rikki and Zane would be headed to the airport with Laurie.

"It's only goodbye for _now_." Bella corrected, trying to smile. "And you'll be back here in time for the wedding, right?"

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Cleo promised, pulling Bella in for a tight hug. The group was silent for several seconds as they exchanged long hugs with one another.

"Hey, you guys." Laurie waved a hand, getting the attention of the group. "I have something for each of you." Laurie had an excited glint in his eyes as he pulled six white envelopes from his bag. He passed them out, checking to match the name on each envelope with the person he handed it to.

"Whoa, Laurie." Rikki's eyes bugged out as she opened her envelope. She pulled out a thick stack of checks, each one made out to her.

"Don't any of you let me hear that I wasn't a good manager." Laurie winked. "I've sent bills to all of your interviewers. Every network, every newspaper, every photographer. They were _more_ than glad to pay your appearance fees. Even after the fact."

Zane's envelope was also filled with checks. He looked at Laurie with surprise clearly spread across his face. "I didn't know we had an appearance fee?"

"And why shouldn't you?" Laurie shrugged. "They're all making plenty of money off of you, it's only fair that you all get a cut. And between you and me, they didn't seem too upset about paying it. Everyone wants to keep you lot happy so that you'll come back for more interviews."

"This... is a _lot_ of money." Cleo stopped counting after the first ten thousand dollars.

"You did a lot of interviews." Laurie said simply.

"Laurie, you are the best. Seriously." Will couldn't keep the relief out of his voice.

Zane nodded in agreement. This money was going to make it so much easier for Rikki and him to disappear. They would be able to stay under the radar once they reached America. He was sure of it.

"I'd recommend you cash those and keep the money somewhere safe before the four of you get on your planes." Laurie advised, looking at Rikki, Zane, Cleo, and Lewis. "I'm not sure all of those banks have branches in the United States."

"Good call." Lewis flipped through the stack of checks, noting which banks they were drawn from.

"It's hard to believe this is all over." Laurie smiled at each of them.

"It's far from over, Laurie." Rikki draped an arm around his shoulders.

"Well, it kind of feels like it is. For me, anyway." Laurie's voice had just a touch of sadness to it. "I'm going to miss the four of you. You'd better write me from America. Where are you headed again?"

"Cleo and I get to go to sunny California." Lewis couldn't hide his giddiness. "It's a completely contained scientific community, like a college campus. You can only get inside the gates if you live and work there. We'll be around scientists who want to learn from me." Lewis couldn't hide the pride in his voice. "And we'll be completely safe and protected. It's going to be great."

"I'll expect regular updates." Laurie said authoritatively.

"And you'll get them." Lewis nodded.

Bright yellow taxi pulled up outside the house and beeped it's horn brightly.

"That's us!" Cleo squealed excitedly.

More hugs and well wishes were exchanged as Cleo and Lewis made their way outside and into their cab. The cab would take them to the airport, and then they'd be on their way to California.

Laurie, Will, Bella, Rikki, and Zane waved as the cab pulled away from the curb. Photographers eagerly snapped pictures, shouting out questions about where Lewis and Cleo were headed. They had agreed to release a statement telling the public where they had gone, but only after they were settled in America.

"I can't believe we're all splitting up." Bella said quietly.

"Only for a little while." Will squeezed her hand tightly. "Come on, I think we have a few things to work on." He winked. "Wedding things."

Laurie looked to Zane and Rikki. "Are you two all set?"

"Our bags are in the other room." Rikki nodded.

"You two load up, I'm just going to make sure we have everything we need." Laurie tossed his car keys to Zane, who stretched to catch them.

"We're headed out." Bella gave her friends one last hug before hurrying after Will, pointed toward the boat shed.

"Is that everything?" Rikki asked as she lifted the last bag into Laurie's car.

"I think so." Zane surveyed the house. "We're only going to be gone a few months, and if we forgot anything we can just go shopping when we get settled in. It's America, not the moon."

"I know." Rikki fiddled with the door handle, looking up at Zane. "Are you sure we can get away with this?"

"I'm absolutely positive." Zane's voice dripped with confidence. "And hey, what's the worst case scenario? We get found out, people realize who we are, and so we move back here. Or we try another new place. No big deal." Zane put an arm around Rikki's shoulders and squeezed reassuringly.

"You're right." Rikki nodded. Her nervousness quickly changed into excitement. "Now let's get out of here."

"Thanks again for driving us, Laurie." Zane said as he climbed into the passenger seat.

"Not a problem." Laurie grinned at the pair as they settled in. "And where are you two hiding in America?

And Rikki and I are on our way to North Carolina." Zane spoke. "We'll be on the coast, but we'll be in a college town so we won't be out of place."

"Al the way on the other end of the country from Lewis and Cleo?" Laurie winced. "Please be careful."

"We'll be plenty careful. you don't need to worry about us." Rikki patted Laurie on the shoulder reassuringly. The car zoomed up to the airline's main entrance.

Bella couldn't contain her excitement as she busted around Will's boat shed. She eventually settled herself behind the coffee table, surrounding herself with notebooks and sheets of loose paper. "How is this for the first draft of our guest list for the wedding?" She held a piece of paper out to Will.

"Invite whoever you want." Will's eyes barely flickered over the paper before refocusing on Bella. "I want our special day to be perfect for you."

"As long as I'm marrying you it _will_ be perfect." Bella smiled as she leaned in for a long kiss.

A knock at the door brought the two of them out of their romantic moment.

"It's probably just another reporter." Bella groaned. "Just ignore the door. They'll go away."

"They're not supposed to step a foot on the property." Will said exasperatedly, standing and stalking to the door. "I guess they need a reminder." He pulled the door open.

Immediately, camera flashes blinded the pair.

"Bella! When is the wedding?"

"What designer's dress will you be wearing?"

"Is it true that we have a mer-baby on the way?"

Will slammed the door, being sure to lock it tightly. He turned to Bella, his eyes wide. "I am so _sick_ of reporters. He flopped down onto the couch beside Bella.

"Will." Bella sat up quickly, her brow furrowed in confusion. "We haven't released a statement about our marriage yet. I mean, how did they know?"

Will frowned. "I have no idea." He shook his head. "They're probably just guessing. Let's just ignore them."

Bella nodded, smiling sightly, but she couldn't help but hear the shout of the reporters, all anxious to hear about a wedding she hadn't even announced publicly yet. Bella tried to stay positive, but she couldn't shake the thought that someone they trusted might be sharing their secrets, and she was dying to know who it might be.

Lewis settled himself into the first class airline seat, stretching his legs out in front of him.

"Excited?" Cleo nudged his shoulder playfully.

"I can't wait." Lewis couldn't keep the excitement from his voice as his eyes sparkled. "This is going to be the perfect setup for us."

"I agree." Cleo said confidently, taking in a deep breath as the plane began rolling down the runway. She was more than a little apprehensive about leaving behind everyone she knew and traveling to a new country, but she would do anything to make Lewis happy. He'd put up with so much during all of this, she was happy to follow him to America to follow his dream.

It was almost two hours later that Laurie dropped Rikki and Zane off at the airport. They'd already made their stops at the bank, and they had way too much cash between the two of them to feel comfortable. They were more than anxious to get the cash safely stashed away. A quick trip to the safety deposit flight locker made them both feel better. Their locker would be loaded onto the plane with them and from there it would be safely delivered once they reached America.

Rikki clicked her seat belt into place, gazing excitedly out the airplane's windows.

"Ready for America?" Zane squeezed Rikki's fingers in his own, tightly.

"I just hope America is ready for us." Rikki squeezed his hand back.

"No, not us." Zane corrected her, double checking his paperwork. He held his hand out to Rikki as if he were introducing himself for the first time. "I'm Chris." He spoke with a much-practiced American accent.

"And I'm Brittany." Rikki also spoke with a careful American tongue.

"Chris and Brittany." Zane sounded completely content. "Jut two regular Americans."

"Get ready, USA." Rikki grinned. "Here we come."

Lewis and Cleo were met by a speechless team of scientists. They treated the couple like royalty, no matter how many times they asked to be treated life regular people.

Weeks passed. Lewis _loved_ the facility, and Cleo found herself more than happy with the arrangement. The pair found that they had no desire to sleep or stay outside the scientific community. Campus was plenty large and very well guarded. After just a few days they became well known amongst the scientists and researchers. To Cleo's surprise, the whole routine became quite ordinary in no time. The scientists all became used to having a mermaid around. She was just another member of their tight-knit group. They were treated with respect and reverence, but at the same time they were treated just like everyone else. Lewis's research was taught as if it were scientific gospel, and to Cleo's greatest joy, no one ever asked her to transform for them. She _did_ just because she wanted to help Lewis out, but she never felt forced into it, and that counted for a lot with her.

Cleo and Lewis knew they had found a rare refuge from the paparazzi, and they were more than a little grateful for it.

They felt at home and, more importantly, they felt safe.

Bella and Will turned the key in the lock if their new home. It was small, but perfect for a young couple just starting out. The money Laurie had collected for them had been a tremendous help toward the purchase. The wedding was just over a month away. It was just enough time to get settled in.

"Look at this place." Bella gazed at their new home.

"_Our_ place." Will held her tightly.

"Our place." Bella echoed.

Bella and Will continued to plan their wedding, growing more and more excited to finally celebrate their big day.

Zane and Rikki made it to the outer banks of North Carolina without any kind of incident. They settled themselves into their tiny studio apartment, being careful not to draw any attention to themselves. They needn't have worried, no one gave them a second glance. They spoke with American accents, wore hooded jackets, and kept to themselves. No one looked at them twice, which thrilled them. Sure, it was a whole different country, but they could make it work for them. They just had to be super careful.

Of all of them, Rikki and Zane had the hardest time adapting. They set up their apartment together, posing as a married couple. They lived each day, petrified that they would be recognized, but they made it two whole weeks without gaining any attention whatsoever.

Yes, they had made it through the great reveal. The world knew what they were, but they somehow managed to function. Bella and Will had a wedding to plan, carefully managing what information the public was privy to against the private details of the wedding. Cleo and Lewis were thrilled with their setup at the Marine Institute of California. Rikki and Zane were making it, though it was hard to trust anyone they met.

Laurie sat at his desk, thinking back to the day he'd first found out about mermaids, and how shocked he'd been. How much had his life changed since then?

He leaned back in his chair, smiling slightly as he gazed at a framed picture that sat on his desk. Cleo, Rikki, and Bella smiled at him from inside the brown frame.

"Excuse me?" Laurie's assistant popped her head in the door. "This just arrived for you." She held out a plain, white envelope to Laurie.

"Thanks, Bree." Laurie's brow furrowed as he read the address. "Who sent it?"

"Not sure, sir." Bree said apologetically. "It was on the desk when I came in from lunch."

Laurie slid a letter opener under the flap and pulled out a single sheet of typed paper. He read to himself.

'I know about the mermaids' powers. I know where Rikki and Zane are. And I know how to ruin Bella and Will's wedding. You will meet my demands or else. I'll be in touch.'

Laurie's heart sank as he reread the short note. Who could have sent such a thing? Who knew so much about the girls?

Laurie clumsily grabbed for his cell phone, calling the only person he could think of. "It's me." He said breathlessly. "We have a problem."

Laurie may have been desperate for help, but the girls had no idea. For the time being they were just living their lives. Some out in the open, some in hiding. But they were with the ones they loved, and that had to count for something.

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><p><strong>Thanks so much to all who've read this whole monster. I've appreciated every review and note you guys have taken time to write. Keep and eye out to the sequel to this story, "Circle of Trust." It will follow all three couples, reveal who wrote the letter, and what their motive might be. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Thanks again!<strong>

**Sarah  
><strong>


	29. Sequel!

Hey guys! Just letting you know that I've just published the first chapter of the sequel to this story, Circle of Trust. I hope you all like it, and I hope it lives up to No More Secrets. Thanks so much for each and every review and to everyone who chatted with me. Talk to you soon! :)


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